Void volume markers in reversed-phase and biomimetic liquid chromatography

A comparative investigation of 15 void volume marker candidates was carried out on two reversed-phase (RP), two immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) and two immobilized protein columns, namely Human Serum Albumin (HSA) and α1-acid-glycoprotein (AGP), using different mobile phases in respect to pH and buffer composition. Pycnometric analysis of the 6 chromatographic columns was also employed for reasons of comparison. The results revealed the possible overestimation of stationary phase void volume if a general void volume marker is used under different chromatographic conditions. In particular, overestimation of the investigated columns’ void volumes was a common phenomenon when using acidic eluents or High Purity Water (HPW) as mobile phase. For this purpose, a classification of the recommended chemicals according to the column type or the pH of the mobile phase is suggested for the accurate determination of retention factors.