Packed Columns for Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Shim-pack UC series

Significance of the Topic

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) offers high-speed, high-resolution separations by leveraging the low viscosity and high diffusivity of supercritical CO2. Compared to HPLC, SFC enables shorter analysis times and enhanced penetration into stationary phase pores, improving interactions and selectivity, especially for isomeric compounds.

Objectives and Overview of the Study

This work presents the Shim-pack UC series of SFC columns, comprising 20 stationary phases with diverse chemistries and a range of particle sizes and column dimensions. The goal is to demonstrate their versatility in separating acidic, neutral, and basic compounds, as well as lipids, peptides, polar analytes, and challenging isomers.

Methodology and Instrumentation

SFC separations were performed using supercritical CO2 with organic modifiers, without changing mobile phase composition across column chemistries. Automated method scouting and preparative scale-up were conducted. Key instrumentation included:

• Shim-pack UC series analytical columns (20 chemistries, various I.D. and lengths)
• Nexera UC system for analytical SFC
• Nexera UC SFE-SFC for online extraction and chromatography
• Method Scouting Solution software Ver.2 for automated screening
• Nexera UC Prep with Shim-pack UC prep columns for scale-up

Main Results and Discussion

Retention behavior across UC phases mirrored normal phase but also exhibited π–π and electrostatic interactions, enabling tailored selectivity for ibuprofen, indapamide, and propranolol. UC-Diol and UC-Diol II were optimal for broad compound classes, while UC-ODS, UC-Py, and others addressed specific challenges. Applications showcased:

• Phospholipid and peptide separations with UC-Diol and UC-ODS
• Simultaneous fatty acid and triglyceride analysis using UC-HyP
• Amino acid profiling without derivatization via UC-Amide
• PAH isomer resolution with UC-Choles
• Improved peak shapes for basic blockers on UC-PolyVP
• Online SFE-SFC of tomato paste lycopene in 5 minutes
• Automated method scouting and preparative scale-up maintaining resolution

Benefits and Practical Applications of the Method

This SFC platform delivers rapid analyses, broad polarity coverage, enhanced isomer separation, and consistent mobile phase conditions for serial column screening. Automated online SFE-SFC and method scouting streamline workflows, reducing sample preparation time and enabling efficient scale-up from analytical to preparative work.

Future Trends and Applications

Advances will focus on enhanced automation of extraction and chromatographic processes, expansion of stationary phase chemistries for multimodal separations, and integration with AI-driven method development. Applications are expected to grow in pharmaceutical QA/QC, metabolomics, environmental monitoring, and food analysis.

Conclusion

The Shim-pack UC series offers a comprehensive, high-performance SFC solution, combining diverse stationary phases, automated method development, and scalable preparative options. This enables fast, reproducible separations across a wide array of analytes and supports evolving analytical needs.

References

No external literature references were provided in the original text.