Preparation of octadecyl modified column gels using heat-treated silicas and their retention behaviour in high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary

The effect of silanol groups on three types of octadecylmodified column gels using heat-treated silicas by calcination has been studied by high-performance liquid chromatography. After heat-treating at 180°C, 500°C and 950°C, the silicas treated with octadecyldimethylchlorosilane were used for the measurement of physical and chemical analysis. From elemental carbon analysis data, the reactive silanol group concentrations, α_OH(s), were determined to be 2.0 in the 180°C treated silica, 2.1 in the 500°C treated silica and 1.6 in the 950°C treated silica, respectively (original silica: mean pore diameter 116 Å, specific surface area 298 m²/g, pore volume 1.22 ml/g, particle size 5.0 μm). The separation factors, α, of pyridine versus phenol were measured to be 0.79 on 180°C treated silica, 0.91 on 500°C treated silica and 1.98 on 950°C treated silica, using acetonitrile-water mixtures as the eluent. And then, on the basis of the physico-chemical and chromatographic data, the three types of octadecyl modified column gels using heat-treated silicas by calcination have been compared.