Acclaim columns overview

Importance of the topic

Liquid chromatography remains a cornerstone of analytical chemistry, enabling separation and quantitation of complex mixtures in pharmaceuticals, environmental testing, food and beverage quality control, and industrial process monitoring. Modern HPLC and UHPLC workflows demand columns with tailored surface chemistries, pore structures, and particle sizes to achieve high peak capacity, fast analysis times, and reliable performance under varying mobile phase and pH conditions. Thermo Scientific’s Acclaim column family addresses these needs through specialized reversed-phase, HILIC, mixed-mode and application-specific packings.

Aims and overview of the article

This article provides a comprehensive survey of Acclaim columns, illustrating how different chemistries and formats meet challenging chromatographic problems. It groups columns into general-purpose reversed-phase (C18, C8, C30, polar-embedded), HILIC, size-exclusion, mixed-mode (WAX, WCX, HILIC-1, Trinity P1/P2) and application-specific phases (organic acids, surfactants, pesticides, explosives, aminoglycosides). A selection guide and discussion on particle size, pore diameter, carbon load, and end-capping are included, offering method developers practical guidelines.

Methodology and instrumentation used

• HPLC Systems: Thermo Scientific UltiMate 3000 RS, Dionex RSLC, Vanquish UHPLC
• Columns: Acclaim reversed-phase, HILIC, mixed-mode, SEC, and application-specific phases in 2.2, 3 and 5 µm formats; 2.1–4.6 mm diameters; 30–250 mm lengths
• Detectors: Diode array UV, charged aerosol (Corona), evaporative light scattering (ELSD), refractive index (RI), mass spectrometry (ESI-QqQ, single quadrupole)
• Mobile phases: Aqueous buffers (formic acid, ammonium formate/acetate, phosphate, methanesulfonic acid), organic modifiers (acetonitrile, methanol, tetrahydrofuran), ion-pair reagents (TFA, PFPA)
• Key chromatographic parameters: Isocratic and gradient modes; 0–100% aqueous/organic; 2–15 min UHPLC and 10–60 min HPLC methods

Main results and discussion

Reversed-phase Acclaim 120 C18 and 120 C8 columns deliver high hydrophobic selectivity, low silanol activity and LC-MS compatibility over pH 2–8. Wider-pore 300 Å packings suit peptide and protein separations. Polar-embedded phases (Polar Advantage, PA2) permit 100% aqueous operation and improved retention of polar analytes while resisting dewetting. HILIC-10 columns retain highly hydrophilic molecules without ion-pairing. SEC-300 and SEC-1000 columns separate water-soluble polymers from 100 Da to >1 MDa. Mixed-mode WAX-1/WCX-1/HILIC-1 and tri-modal Trinity P1/P2 phases allow independent tuning of reversed-phase, ion-exchange and HILIC interactions, enabling single-column separations of ionic and neutral species. Application-specific columns ensure baseline resolution for organic acids, surfactants (anionic, nonionic, cationic, amphoteric), EPA 8330 explosives, DNPH-derivatized carbonyls, carbamate pesticides and aminoglycoside antibiotics under tailored conditions.

Benefits and practical applications of the method

• Streamlined method development: column selection guides based on analyte polarity, charge and size
• High throughput: sub-2 µm and 2.2 µm UHPLC phases deliver 2–15 min runs with maintained resolution
• Robustness under extreme pH and mobile phase compositions, minimizing dewetting and phase degradation
• LC-MS and CAD compatibility through low bleed and volatile buffer compatibility

Future trends and applications

Advances are expected in sub-2 µm mixed-mode packings, polymer-hybrid supports for broader pH stability, and high-throughput column arrays for automated method scouting. Integration with micro- and nano-LC systems, enhanced CAD sensitivity and AI-guided column selection will further optimize workflows in proteomics, metabolomics, environmental screening and process analytics.

Conclusion

Thermo Scientific Acclaim columns encompass a versatile toolkit for modern HPLC/UHPLC challenges. Their broad chemistries and consistent manufacturing yield reproducible separations across diverse sample matrices. By selecting the appropriate chemistry, pore size and particle size, analysts can achieve high resolution, fast analysis and robust performance, streamlining quality control and research applications.

References

1. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Exploring Mixed-Mode Chromatography, PN 21137.
2. Liu X., Pohl C., Whitepaper, PN-PITTCON-MixedModeChrom, 2015.
3. Zhang K., Liu X., J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 128 (2016) 73–88.
4. Wang L., Liu X., et al., LPN2295-01, 2009.
5. ISO 22478, LC method for nitroaromatic/explosive residues.