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A nanocrystalline metal organic framework confined in the fibrous pores of core-shell silica particles for improved HPLC separation

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Abstract

A hybrid material was prepared from a metal-organic framework (MOF) and core-shell silica by using a kinetic controlling approach. The nanocrystalline MOF (HKUST-1) was prepared from 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate and copper(II) by tuning the reaction rate via the fraction of ethanol in the solvent. After the reaction rate was reduced to a certain degree, the pore surface would be well covered with Cu(II), which initiated the formation of a nanocrystalline HKUST-1. The resulting hybrid material was packed into a stainless-steel column (4.6 × 150 mm) and used as a stationary phase in high performance liquid chromatography. SiO2@dSiO2-HKUST-1 combined the merits of the high separation performance of the core-shell particles and the unique selectivity of the HKUST-1 nanocrystals. A separation efficiency as high as almost 140,000 plates per meter was achieved for the model analyte styrene. The material was stable and exhibited a highly reproductivity. The relative standard deviations of column-to-column, intra-day, and inter-day reproducibility of the SiO2@dSiO2-HKUST-1 packed columns for the retention time of styrene were 4.7%, 0.3%, and 0.4%, respectively.

HKUST-1 nanocrystals were coated onto the porous surface of core-shell silica spheres under careful kinetic control. The resulting particles were packed into the column, and a separation performance of up to 140,000 plates per meter was achieved.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Educational Committee (KJ2016SD12).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Functional Molecule Design and Interface Process, School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei, 230601, China

    Qishu Qu, Han Xuan, Kehua Zhang, Xiaoming Chen, Yi Ding & Shaojie Feng

  2. CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Yang Si & Han-Qing Yu

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  1. Qishu Qu
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Qu, Q., Si, Y., Xuan, H. et al. A nanocrystalline metal organic framework confined in the fibrous pores of core-shell silica particles for improved HPLC separation. Microchim Acta 184, 4099–4106 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2439-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2439-1

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