In situ polymerization of monolith based on poly(Triallyl Isocyanurate-co-trimethylolpropane triacrylate) and its application in high-performance liquid chromatography.

A novel organic monolithic stationary phase was prepared for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by in situ copolymerization. In which, triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) and trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) in a binary porogenic solvent consisting of polyethylene glycol 200 and 1, 2-propanediol were used. The resultant monoliths with different column properties (e.g., morphology and pressure) were optimized by adjusting the ratio of TMPTA/TAIC and the composition of porogenic solvent. The resulting poly(TAIC-co-TMPTA) monolith showed a relatively homogeneous structure, good permeability and mechanical stability. The chemical group of the monolith was assayed by the infrared spectra method, the morphology of monolithic material was studied by scanning electron microscopy and the pore size distribution was determined by a mercury porosimeter. A series of small molecules were used to evaluate the column performance in terms of hydrophobic mode. At an optimized flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1), the theoretical plate number of analyte was >15,000 plates m(-1). These applications demonstrated that the monoliths could be successfully used as the stationary phase in conjunction with HPLC to separate small molecules from the mixture.