Evaluation of multi-solvent size exclusion chromatography columns packed with sub-2 μm particles for the characterization of synthetic polymers

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A Vol. 1714; p. 464539
• Main Authors: Shen, Sensen, Bashir, Mubasher, Huysman, Steve, Xu, Xiuqing (Emily), Chang, Cuilan, Yang, Xiuhan (Grace), Pursch, Matthias, Chanaa, Sami, Byrd, Jade
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 11.01.2024
• Subjects: Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Hyphenation to various detectors; Multi-solvent suitability; Polyethylene Glycols; Polymers - chemistry; Reproducibility of Results; Solvents - chemistry; Sub-2 μm SEC column; Ultra-high performance size-exclusion chromatography; Water - chemistry; Multi-solvent suitability; Sub-2 μm SEC column; Hyphenation to various detectors; Ultra-high performance size-exclusion chromatography
• ISSN: 0021-9673; 1873-3778
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464539

•Novel silica-based sub-2 μm particle SEC columns can be operated in organic and aqueous solvents.•Polyethylene glycol (PEG) can be analyzed using THF with good resolution and repeatability.•Column complements other offerings which are for aqueous or organic applications.•Fast diagnostic tool to determine composition, molecular weight and concentration. With the recent development of small particle stationary-phases and dedicated instrumentation, the combination of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) technology has been realized. It opened up a new polymer analysis technique called UHP-SEC. Although high resolution and fast analysis can be achieved, the multi-solvent suitability for a given column was limited to either organic or aqueous eluents. In this work, the capability of novel SEC columns (AdvanceBio SEC columns) packed with 1.9 μm particles for the characterization of synthetic polymers in organic solvents as well as the multi-solvent compatibility for organic and aqueous eluents have been demonstrated. About six times faster separation for both polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with good peak shape and repeatability were achieved in comparison with standard SEC columns at comparable resolution. Especially for PEG, in contrast to other SEC columns, this column could provide close-to-accurate determination of molecular weights with tetrahydrofuran (THF) as mobile phase. Good reproducibility was obtained after switching several times from water to THF and vice versa with RSD% in retention times less than 0.5 %. Different samples such as polyols, isocyanates and additives can also be analyzed for molecular weight and distribution or composition determination. Volume overload, especially with injection volumes higher than 10 µL needs to be considered. This new column offers a powerful choice for oligomer and polymer analysis with both aqueous and organic mobile phase. Ultimately, hyphenating SEC columns to various detectors can enable more information regarding chemical composition, molecular weight, concentration, and structure.