New zwitterionic polymethacrylate monolithic columns for one- and two-dimensional microliquid chromatography.

We prepared 0.53 and 0.32 mm id monolithic microcolumns by in situ copolymerization of a zwitterionic sulfobetaine functional monomer with bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (BIGDMA) and dioxyethylene dimetacrylate crosslinkers. The columns show a dual retention mechanism (hydrophilic-interaction mode) in acetonitrile-rich mobile phases and RP in highly aqueous mobile phases. The new 0.53 mm id columns provided excellent reproducibility, retention, and separation selectivity for phenolic acids and flavonoids. The new zwitterionic monolithic columns are highly orthogonal, with respect to alkyl silica stationary phases, not only in the hydrophilic-interaction mode but also in the RP mode. The optimized monolithic zwitterionic microcolumn of 0.53 mm id was employed in the first dimension, either in the aqueous normal-phase or in the RP mode, coupled with a short nonpolar core-shell column in the second dimension, for comprehensive 2D LC separations of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. When the 2D setup with the sulfobetaine-BIGDMA column was used for repeated sample analysis, with alternating gradients of decreasing (hydrophilic-interaction mode), and increasing (RP mode) concentration of acetonitrile on the sulfobetaine-BIGDMA column in the first dimension, useful complementary information on the sample could be obtained.