Issue 18, 2012

Effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes incorporation into benzyl methacrylate monolithic columns in capillary liquid chromatography

Abstract

This work describes the preparation of polymer based monolithic materials and their use as stationary phases in capillary liquid chromatography. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were incorporated into a mixture containing benzyl methacrylate (BMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) as co-monomers. The optimized porogenic mixture was a ternary solution composed of cyclohexanol, 1,4-butandiol and butanol which resulted in a stable and homogeneous suspension. Six capillary columns with increasing amounts of MWCNT, from 0 to 0.4 mg mL−1, were prepared by thermal polymerization in 0.32 mm (i.d.) and 150 mm length fused silica tubing. The chromatographic evaluation showed that the synthesized monolithic beds were mechanically stable while their porosity and permeability increased with the MWCNT content. The prepared capillary columns were tested for the separation of mixtures of ketones and phenols at an optimum flow rate of 2 μL min−1. The results showed that incorporation of MWCNT slightly affected the retention while it enhanced the column efficiency by increasing the column efficiency by a factor of up to 9. This effect corresponded also to an improved resolution and full separation of the solutes.

Graphical abstract: Effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes incorporation into benzyl methacrylate monolithic columns in capillary liquid chromatography

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Apr 2012
Accepted
27 Jun 2012
First published
30 Jul 2012

Analyst, 2012,137, 4309-4317

Effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes incorporation into benzyl methacrylate monolithic columns in capillary liquid chromatography

A. Aqel, K. Yusuf, Z. A. Al-Othman, A. Y. Badjah-Hadj-Ahmed and A. A. Alwarthan, Analyst, 2012, 137, 4309 DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35518C

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