MaxPeak Premier Columns

Importance of the Topic

The ability to reliably separate and detect metal-sensitive compounds such as phosphates, acids, peptides, and oligonucleotides is critical for a wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, biological, and environmental analysis. Traditional stainless steel hardware can promote surface interactions that reduce analyte recovery, complicate method development, and undermine data confidence. Advanced column technologies that minimize these interactions support faster, more accurate, and more repeatable analyses across different LC platforms.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study reviews the features and performance of Waters MaxPeak Premier columns incorporating High Performance Surfaces (HPS) technology. It aims to demonstrate how these columns mitigate non-specific adsorption, reduce passivation requirements, and enhance scalability across UPLC, UHPLC, and HPLC systems. Key performance metrics such as recovery, reproducibility, and peak shape are evaluated using representative analytes under various conditions.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

• Surface Technology: High Performance Surfaces to passivate metal contact points and reduce chelation
• Column Chemistries: C18, AX, Shield, Phenyl Hexyl, HSS T3 across multiple particle sizes (1.7 µm to 3.5 µm)
• Systems Evaluated: ACQUITY Premier UPLC, Arc HPLC, H-Class UPLC
• Analytes Tested: Thiourea, metoprolol, corticosteroid phosphates, oligonucleotides, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate
• Mobile Phase Conditions: Aqueous buffers with formate at low pH without complex additives
• Detection: UV at 260 nm, ESI–MS

Main Results and Discussion

• Recoveries of metal-sensitive analytes improved from under 35% on stainless steel to nearly 100% with MaxPeak HPS columns without extended conditioning.
• Reproducibility over multiple injections showed relative standard deviations below 4% versus over 25% on conventional hardware.
• Peak shapes were sharper and more symmetric for phosphorylated and carboxylated compounds, facilitating greater resolution.
• Method transfer between particle sizes and systems was seamless, enabling consistent retention times and peak performance.
• Column lifetime extended due to reduced need for passivation and simplified mobile phase formulations.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Reduced conditioning and passivation time accelerates method development and sample throughput.
• Enhanced sensitivity and peak shape improve quantitation of low-abundance analytes.
• Elimination of complex mobile phase additives simplifies routine QC and research protocols.
• Scalability across HPLC, UHPLC, and UPLC systems streamlines method transfer from development to production.
• Reliable performance reduces troubleshooting and increases confidence in decision making.

Future Trends and Applications

• Expansion of HPS technology to new stationary phases and particle sizes for specialized separations.
• Integration with automated method development platforms and machine learning for real-time optimization.
• Development of environmentally friendly mobile phase strategies, reducing additive use and waste.
• Adaptation to miniaturized and high-throughput systems for single-cell and omics applications.
• Broader adoption in regulated environments to support stringent QA/QC requirements.

Conclusion

Waters MaxPeak Premier columns with High Performance Surfaces address key challenges in liquid chromatography by minimizing analyte–surface interactions, improving recovery and reproducibility, and enabling seamless scalability. These advancements deliver faster method development, greater data confidence, and broader applicability across diverse analytical workflows. Incorporation of HPS technology represents a significant step forward for laboratories seeking robust, high-performance separations.