More Chemistries, More Choices for Your Toughest Separation Challenges

Significance of the Topic

High-performance liquid chromatography relies fundamentally on column technology to achieve rapid, high-resolution separations. Superficially porous particle columns such as Agilent InfinityLab Poroshell 120 combine high efficiency with reduced backpressure, enabling faster analyses, lower solvent consumption, and improved throughput. These attributes make them vital tools in pharmaceutical development, environmental testing, food safety, and industrial quality control.

Aims and Overview

This guide presents an overview of the InfinityLab Poroshell 120 column family, designed to help analysts select the optimal particle size and stationary phase chemistry for diverse separation challenges. It covers the three available particle dimensions, 20 bonded phases, performance characteristics, and method transfer compatibility with traditional fully porous columns.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Columns are based on superficially porous silica particles featuring a solid core and porous outer layer. Three particle sizes support different LC platforms:

• 1.9 µm: UHPLC operation to 1 300 bar, ideal for Agilent 1290 Infinity II
• 2.7 µm: UHPLC-grade performance to 600 bar for Agilent 1260 Infinity II series
• 4 µm: Enhanced HPLC performance to 600 bar for Agilent 1220 Infinity II

Compatibility with Agilent LC systems ensures seamless integration and optional column ID tagging for usage tracking.

Main Results and Discussion

The Poroshell 120 portfolio includes 20 chemistries covering reversed-phase, HILIC, and chiral separations:

• General purpose C18 and C8 phases with end-capping for broad analyte classes
• Polar-endcapped and aqueous-stable phases for 100 % water mobile phases
• High pH-capable phases for basic compounds and extended pH range
• PFP, phenyl-hexyl, and cyano phases offering alternative selectivity
• HILIC phases and proprietary cyclofructan or cyclodextrin chiral phases for polar and enantiomeric separations

Columns align with legacy ZORBAX chemistries, facilitating direct method transfer from fully porous to superficially porous media. Detailed specifications include pore size (100–120 Å), pH tolerance (1.0–12.0), temperature limits (45–90 °C), carbon load, surface area, and USP designations.

Advantages and Practical Applications

Superficially porous technology delivers:

• Higher chromatographic efficiency and peak capacity at reduced backpressure
• Faster separations with shorter column lengths and smaller particle sizes
• Lower solvent use, especially with narrow bore columns (2.1 mm ID)
• Extensive selectivity options for small molecule analysis, metabolomics, bioanalysis, and chiral purity testing
• Stable performance under extreme pH and temperature conditions

Guard columns and method validation kits further extend column lifetime and support regulatory compliance.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Advances will likely include:

• Integration with mass spectrometry for high-throughput screening and proteomics
• Expanded superficially porous materials to improve mechanical stability and selectivity
• Automation and artificial intelligence-driven method optimization
• Green chromatography with reduced solvent consumption and alternative mobile phases
• Miniaturized formats for microscale LC and point-of-care analysis

Conclusion

Agilent InfinityLab Poroshell 120 columns offer a versatile, high-efficiency platform for modern LC challenges. Their combination of superficially porous particle design, broad chemistry range, and compatibility with existing methods makes them indispensable for analysts seeking rapid, reproducible, and robust separations.