Effect of particle size distribution on the separation efficiency in liquid chromatography

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A Vol. 1361; pp. 203 - 208
• Main Authors: Horváth, Krisztián, Lukács, Diána, Sepsey, Annamária, Felinger, Attila
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 26.09.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Bimodal phases; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid - instrumentation; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Core–shell phases; Exact sciences and technology; General rate model; Other chromatographic methods; Particle Size; Particle size distribution; Porosity; Separation efficiency; General rate model; Bimodal phases; Particle size distribution; Core–shell phases; Separation efficiency; Particle size; Peak resolution; Theoretical study; Liquid chromatography; Core-shell particle; Porous material; Modeling; Plate efficiency; Column packing; Height equivalent to a theoretical plate; Core-shell phases; Mathematical model; Stationary phase
• ISSN: 0021-9673; 1873-3778
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2014.08.017

•Influence of the width of particle size distribution (PSD) on chromatographic efficiency is studied.•A theoretical framework is developed in order to calculate this effect.•Wide particle size distributions have significant effect on the separation efficiency.•Bimodal packings do not have any advantage over unimodal phases. In this work, the influence of the width of particle size distribution (PSD) on chromatographic efficiency is studied. The PSD is described by lognormal distribution. A theoretical framework is developed in order to calculate heights equivalent to a theoretical plate in case of different PSDs. Our calculations demonstrate and verify that wide particle size distributions have significant effect on the separation efficiency of molecules. The differences of fully porous and core–shell phases regarding the influence of width of PSD are presented and discussed. The efficiencies of bimodal phases were also calculated. The results showed that these packings do not have any advantage over unimodal phases.