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Spherical ordered mesoporous silicas and silica monoliths as stationary phases for liquid chromatography
Author(s) -
Galarneau Anne,
Iapichella Julien,
Brunel Daniel,
Fajula François,
BayramHahn Zöfre,
Unger Klaus,
Puy Guillaume,
Demesmay Claire,
Rocca JeanLouis
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of separation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.72
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1615-9314
pISSN - 1615-9306
DOI - 10.1002/jssc.200500511
Subject(s) - mesoporous material , particle (ecology) , materials science , chemical engineering , mesoporous silica , texture (cosmology) , particle size , micelle , chromatography , nanotechnology , chemistry , organic chemistry , aqueous solution , catalysis , oceanography , artificial intelligence , computer science , engineering , image (mathematics) , geology
Ordered mesoporous silicas such as micelle‐templated silicas (MTS) feature unique textural properties in addition to their high surface area (˜1000 m 2 /g): narrow mesopore size distributions and controlled pore connectivity. These characteristics are highly relevant to chromatographic applications for resistance to mass transfer, which has never been studied in chromatography because of the absence of model materials such as MTS. Their synthesis is based on unique self‐assembly processes between surfactants and silica. In order to take advantage of the perfectly adjustable texture of MTS in chromatographic applications, their particle morphology has to be tailored at the micrometer scale. We developed a synthesis strategy to control the particle morphology of MTS using the concept of pseudomorphic transformation. Pseudomorphism was recognized in the mineral world to gain a mineral that presents a morphology not related to its crystallographic symmetry group. Pseudomorphic transformations have been applied to amorphous spherical silica particles usually used in chromatography as stationary phases to produce MTS with the same morphology, using alkaline solution to dissolve progressively and locally silica and reprecipitate it around surfactant micelles into ordered MTS structures. Spherical beads of MTS with hexagonal and cubic symmetries have been synthesized and successfully used in HPLC in fast separation processes. MTS with a highly connected structure (cubic symmetry), uniform pores with a diameter larger than 6 nm in the form of particles of 5 μm could compete with monolithic silica columns. Monolithic columns are receiving strong interest and represent a milestone in the area of fast separation. Their synthesis is a sol‐gel process based on phase separation between silica and water, which is assisted by the presence of polymers. The control of the synthesis of monolithic silica has been systematically explored. Because of unresolved yet cladding problems to evaluate the resulting macromonoliths in HPLC, micromonoliths were synthesized into fused‐silica capillaries and evaluated by nano‐LC and CEC. Only CEC allows to gain high column efficiencies in fast separation processes. Capillary silica monolithic columns represent attractive alternatives for miniaturization processes (lab‐on‐a chip) using CEC.