MaxPeak Premier Columns featuring MaxPeak High Performance Surfaces

Importance of the Topic

The accurate and reproducible analysis of small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, proteins, and glycans is essential for pharmaceutical development, quality control, and biomarker discovery. Unwanted surface interactions in liquid chromatography can lead to analyte loss, peak broadening, and reduced sensitivity, especially for metal-sensitive species such as phosphates, carboxylates, and acidic peptides. Innovations that minimize these interactions enhance confidence in data, decrease method development time, and improve overall workflow efficiency.

Aims and Overview of the Study

This application note presents Waters™ MaxPeak™ Premier Columns featuring MaxPeak High Performance Surfaces (HPS). It outlines how HPS technology mitigates surface interactions, details the available column chemistries and particle technologies, and provides ordering information for reversed-phase, HILIC, and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) modes applicable to small molecules and biomolecules.

Methodology and Instrumentation

MaxPeak HPS incorporates advanced surface treatments on hybrid and solid-core particle chemistries to reduce metal and silanol active sites. Key features include:

• Surface passivation to limit adsorption of phosphate and carboxylate groups
• Compatibility with simple mobile phases (e.g., formic acid, trifluoroacetic acid) without complex additives
• Fast column conditioning and pH equilibration across a broad pH range (1–12, depending on chemistry)
• Integrated VanGuard™ FIT guard column technology for consistent protection and reproducibility

Instrumentation typically comprises UHPLC or HPLC systems coupled to UV or mass spectrometric detectors. Recommended mobile phase additives include IonHance™ for enhanced MS sensitivity and RapiFluor-MS™ reagents for glycan labeling.

Main Results and Discussion

Evaluation of MaxPeak Premier Columns demonstrates:

• Reduced column conditioning and passivation times by up to 50 %
• Improved peak shapes and resolution for basic, acidic, and polar analytes
• Enhanced sensitivity and recovery for metal-sensitive compounds such as lipids, organic acids, oligonucleotides, and phosphorylated peptides
• Stable performance over wide pH and temperature ranges, enabling flexible method conditions

Comparative tests show consistent retention times and peak capacities when switching between reversed-phase, HILIC, and SEC applications without significant re-optimization.

Benefits and Practical Applications

MaxPeak Premier Columns offer:

• Time savings in method development and routine analysis
• Simplified mobile phase preparation without complex chelating agents
• Reliable quantitation of trace-level impurities and post-translational modifications
• Improved throughput in bioseparations of therapeutic proteins, antibodies, glycans, and oligonucleotides
• Greater confidence in decision-making for research, QA/QC, and regulated environments

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging directions include:

• Integration of AI-driven method scouting and column selection tools
• Further optimization of surface chemistries for ultra-high-throughput analysis
• Expansion into novel stationary phases for chiral separations and supercritical fluid chromatography
• Broader adoption of multi-omics workflows combining proteomics, glycomics, and metabolomics

Conclusion

Waters MaxPeak Premier Columns with High Performance Surfaces address the critical challenge of analyte loss due to surface interactions. By delivering faster conditioning, robust pH stability, and enhanced sensitivity, these columns streamline method development and improve data quality across a wide range of LC and LC-MS applications.

References

No external references were cited in this application note.