Preparation and evaluation of high efficient rod-shape poly(methacrylic acid-styrene-divinylbenzene) high performance liquid chromatographic column

A novel high efficiency rod-shape poly(methaciylic acid-co-styrene-co-divinylbenzene) high performance liquid Chromatographic column was prepared by a free-radical polymerization directly within the column. Scanning electron micrograph revealed the macropores of the copolymer column media. It had excellent permeability and the column pressure was only 2.5 MPa at a flow-rate of 2.0 mL/min with acetonitrile-water (90/10, V/V) as mobile phase. It also showed the rather high efficiency with the theoretical plates being 40, 000 plates per meter. Aromatic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were separated within 4 and 10 minutes, respectively.