Shim-pack HPLC Column Guidebook

Importance of the Topic

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a cornerstone technique in analytical chemistry, enabling separation, identification, and quantification of diverse chemical species. Advances in column technology directly impact laboratory throughput, data quality, and robustness, driving progress in pharmaceuticals, biopharma, environmental monitoring, and quality control.

Objectives and Overview of the Article

This guide presents Shimadzu’s comprehensive portfolio of Shim-pack HPLC and UHPLC columns—including Scepter, NovaCore, Velox, and G series—and their integration with Nexera series liquid chromatographs and the LCMS-2050 mass spectrometer. It aims to highlight key column technologies such as fully porous silica, organic silica hybrid coreshells, and superficially porous particles, and to demonstrate applications from rapid small-molecule separations to complex biomolecule analysis.

Instrumentation Used

• Shimadzu Nexera X3, XS, and XR UHPLC systems featuring sub-2 μm particle capability, advanced digital diagnostics, and AI-driven automated maintenance
• Shimadzu LCMS-2050 single quadrupole LC/MS module for high-sensitivity detection in a compact footprint
• Shimadzu Nexera X2 coupled with LCMS-8060 for protein and oligonucleotide analysis

Methodology and Column Technologies

Shim-pack columns employ varied stationary phases and particle morphologies to optimize separation:

• Organic silica hybrid fully porous columns (Scepter series) offering wide pH tolerance (1–12) and enhanced stability under acidic and basic conditions
• Coreshell organic silica hybrid columns (NovaCore C18-HB) enabling sharp peaks, low backpressure, and retention of basic compounds without ion-pairing reagents
• Core shell silica columns (Velox series) delivering high efficiency, rapid separations, and rugged lifetime for routine and demanding analyses
• Fully porous high surface area silica columns (G series) for inertness and high retention in preparative workflows
• Diverse chemistries: C18, C8, phenyl, phenyl-hexyl, pentafluorophenyl, HILIC, ion exchange, and size exclusion tailored for small molecules, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, amino acids, sugars, and organic acids

Method scouting is facilitated by seamless scalability across particle sizes (1.7–5 μm) and column dimensions (analytical to preparative). Automated digital functions (M2M, IoT, AI) enable self-diagnostics, high reproducibility, and operator-independent performance.

Main Results and Discussion

• Fast separations: Five to ten minute runs routinely achieved on sub-2 μm UHPLC columns in Nexera X3 with high resolution of isomeric species such as barbiturates
• High pH and temperature tolerance: Scepter columns maintained performance at pH 11.5 and 70 °C with minimal loss of efficiency over hundreds of hours
• Metal-free analysis: Scepter Claris and PEEK-lined columns reduced adsorption of nucleic acids, phospholipids, and proteins, improving sensitivity and reproducibility
• Oligonucleotide separation: Phosphorothioate and oligo-T species resolved with minimal peak broadening using C18-120 and PFPP chemistries
• Protein subunit and antibody fragment analysis: C4-300 coreshell columns provided sharp peaks and enhanced MS compatibility in LCMS-8060
• Method transfer: Linear scaling of retention and efficiency enabled transfer from HPLC to UHPLC formats while meeting system suitability criteria

Benefits and Practical Applications of the Method

• Increased laboratory productivity through rapid analysis, high throughput, and reduced cycle times
• Versatile application coverage spanning small molecules, biomolecules, ions, and polymers
• Robust performance under extreme pH and temperature conditions, ensuring long column lifetimes in QA/QC and R&D labs
• Enhanced data integrity via AI-enabled self-diagnostics and reproducible results independent of operator skill
• Seamless method development and scale-up from analytical to preparative separations

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Integration of advanced digital intelligence with chromatographic systems will enable predictive maintenance, automated method optimization, and real-time performance monitoring. Emerging stationary phase developments may focus on green solvents compatibility, microflow and nanoLC applications for single-cell proteomics, and specialized phases for covalent drug conjugates and complex biomarker analysis. Expanding column chemistries will further support metabolomics, glycomics, and high-resolution separations in clinical diagnostics and synthetic polymer characterization.

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s Shim-pack column portfolio, combined with Nexera UHPLC systems and LCMS-2050 detection, delivers a comprehensive solution for modern analytical challenges. Through tailored stationary phases, robust instrumentation, and AI-driven automation, users can achieve rapid, high-resolution, and reproducible separations across diverse applications, ensuring future readiness in analytical laboratories.

Reference

• K. Kimata, K. Iwaguchi, S. Onishi, K. Jinno, R. Eksteen, K. Hosoya, M. Araki, N. Tanaka; Journal of Chromatographic Science, Vol. 27 (1989)