Consider Column Variety for Effective Separations Biphenyl and Beyond

Importance of the Topic

Modern liquid chromatography relies on column technology that balances efficiency, throughput and robustness. Superficially porous (solid core) particles have transformed small-molecule analysis by reducing longitudinal diffusion and backpressure while improving resolution. Selecting the correct column chemistry is vital for separating a wide array of analytes from pharmaceuticals and metabolites to food and environmental residues.

Study Objectives and Overview

This review examines Thermo Scientific’s Accucore family of solid core columns and the next-generation Accucore Vanquish UHPLC columns. It surveys available particle sizes and chemistries, characterizes performance metrics versus fully porous phases, and highlights application examples illustrating method transfer, ruggedness and selectivity advantages.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Accucore columns feature a dense 0.2–0.3 µm solid core surrounded by a 0.5–0.6 µm porous shell. Particle size options include:

• 1.5 µm for UHPLC on Vanquish systems (295,000 plates/m).
• 2.6 µm for modern HPLC/UHPLC compatibility (196,000 plates/m in RP-MS phase).
• 4 µm to update legacy 5 µm methods with minimal extra backpressure.

Available stationary phases cover 15 chemistries, including C18, C18+ (aQ), RP-MS, Phenyl-Hexyl, Biphenyl, PFP, C30, C8, C4, and three HILIC variants. Columns were evaluated on Thermo Scientific Vanquish UHPLC and standard HPLC systems, using steroid mixtures, non-polar pharmaceuticals and complex matrices.

Key Results and Discussion

Comparative tests demonstrated that Accucore solid core columns:

• Delivered run-to-run retention time reproducibility with ∆RT <0.01 min over thousands of injections.
• Improved resolution (Rs) comparable to fully porous sub-2 µm phases, with 40 % higher efficiency at equivalent backpressure.
• Enabled faster gradients: 50 × 2.1 mm, 2.6 µm columns reduced run times by up to 50 %.

Biphenyl vs C18 phases showed complementary selectivity: π–π interactions on biphenyl improved retention of polyaromatic and polar steroids (e.g., deoxycortisol, corticosterone), while C18 favored non-polar components. Radar plots of Tanaka parameters confirmed orthogonal hydrophobic, aromatic and hydrogen-bonding characteristics among phases.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Accucore columns offer laboratories:

• Reduced solvent consumption and faster throughput for QC and high-volume workflows.
• Seamless method conversion from legacy 5 µm HPLC to modern UHPLC standards.
• Wide phase selection to tackle challenging separations in food safety (catechins in wine), veterinary drug monitoring and clinical metabolite profiling.
• Enhanced robustness with sustained performance over >3,000 injections in biological matrices.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging demands for high-resolution screening in metabolomics, pharmaceuticals and environmental analysis will drive broader adoption of superficially porous columns. Integration with automated platforms, microflow LC and two-dimensional separations promises further gains. Continued expansion of phase chemistries, including chiral and mixed-mode phases, will address novel analyte challenges and reinforce UHPLC’s role in high-throughput laboratories.

Conclusion

Thermo Scientific Accucore and Accucore Vanquish columns demonstrate that solid core technology delivers a powerful balance of speed, resolution and durability. Their extensive range of particle sizes and chemistries allows analysts to tailor separations for diverse workflows, from legacy HPLC modernization to cutting-edge UHPLC applications.

Reference

All information based on Thermo Scientific application notes and product literature evaluating Accucore column performance.