SunShell HPLC Columns

Importance of Topic

The development of superficially porous (core–shell) HPLC columns has transformed high-performance liquid chromatography by combining high separation efficiency with moderate backpressure. SunShell core–shell silica columns offer the performance of sub-2 µm totally porous particles in a 2.6 µm format while preserving lower column backpressure, making them attractive for routine, high-throughput, and thermo-stable analyses across pharmaceutical, environmental, food, and biopharmaceutical sectors.

Study Objectives and Overview

This whitepaper reviews the design, performance, and applications of SunShell core–shell columns produced by ChromaNik Technologies. Key aims include:

• Comparing Van Deemter contributions (A, B, C terms) for core–shell versus fully porous particles.
• Evaluating plate count, peak shape, and backpressure across multiple stationary phases (C18, C8, Phenyl, PFP, Cyano, etc.).
• Assessing chemical stability under acidic and basic conditions.
• Demonstrating representative separations: small molecules, metal-chelating compounds, peptides, proteins, and biologics.

Methodology and Instrumentation

SunShell core–shell columns feature a non-porous silica core (1.2–3.5 µm) coated with a 0.2–0.6 µm porous shell (pore sizes from 9 nm to 100 nm). Various bonded phases (C18, C18-WP, HFC18-16, C8-30HT, C4-100, Phenyl, Biphenyl, PFP, PFP&C18, Cyano, HILIC-Amide, HILIC-S, 2-EP) extend application to reversed-phase, HILIC, and SFC modes. Performance tests were conducted on HPLC systems (e.g., Hitachi LaChrom ELITE, JASCO X-LC) using acetonitrile/water and methanol/water mobile phases over flow rates of 0.2–1.8 mL/min, at temperatures up to 80 °C. Core–shell and fully porous columns of identical dimensions were compared under identical chromatographic conditions.

Main Results and Discussion

• Van Deemter Analysis – A, B and C terms are reduced in core–shell columns. A 2.6 µm SunShell C18 matches the plate count of a sub-2 µm porous column with ~40 % lower backpressure.
• Particle Size Distribution – SunShell core–shell particles exhibit a narrow D90/D10 ratio (~1.15) versus ~1.6 for conventional silica, minimizing eddy diffusion.
• Plate Count versus Pressure – At 50 × 2.1 mm, SunShell C18 (2.6 µm) achieved ~9,600 plates at 9.7 MPa (990 plates/MPa), outperforming sub-2 µm brands.
• Chemical Stability – SunShell C18 retains > 90 % retention capacity after 100 h at 80 °C in 1 % TFA; stable at pH 10 for extended use at elevated temperatures.
• Peak Shape and Loading – Excellent peak shape for basic (pyridine, amitriptyline), acidic (formic acid), and chelating compounds (oxine). Amitriptyline loading capacity is maintained up to 0.3–1 µg per injection.
• Phase Variety – Phenyl, Biphenyl, PFP, PFP&C18, Cyano and C30 phases enable tailored selectivity for aromatic, fluorinated, and hydrophilic analytes. HILIC-Amide and HILIC-S provide high-efficiency retention of polar analytes and bio-oligomers.
• Applications – High-speed separations of peptides, proteins, nucleotides, sweeteners, vitamins, steroid isomers, tocopherols, monoclonal antibodies, and OPA/FMOC-derivatized amino acids.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced throughput with sub-2 µm performance at lower backpressure reduces wear on pumps and extends column life.
• Wide pH range (1.5–10 for C18) and robust end-capping chemistry support aggressive cleaning and high-temperature operation.
• Metal-free column hardware options enable bio-inert separations for metal-chelating compounds and LC/MS analysis.
• Guard cartridge columns offer low dead volume protection and extend analytical column lifetime.

Future Trends and Applications

Advances in core–shell technology will target:

• Integration with ultra-fast SFC platforms and micro/nanoflow LC for proteomics and metabolomics.
• Development of mixed-mode and multifunctional bonded phases for complex sample matrices.
• Miniaturized and automated systems for point-of-care and single-cell analyses.
• Green chromatography approaches reducing solvent use and improving sustainability.

Conclusion

SunShell superficially porous HPLC columns deliver a robust combination of high efficiency, low backpressure, chemical stability, and versatile phase chemistry. Their core–shell structure minimizes band broadening while preserving solvent throughput, enabling faster, more sensitive, and more reliable separations across a wide range of analytes and applications.

Used Instrumentation

• HPLC Systems: Hitachi LaChrom ELITE, JASCO X-LC
• Detector Response Settings: UV at 210–338 nm, MS (ESI)
• Particle Characterization: Beckman Coulter Multisizer 3
• Column Hardware: MetalTouch (Tomoe), IsoBar (IDEX)
• Temperature Control: up to 80 °C for accelerated stability testing