Characterization of a novel diol column for high-performance liquid chromatography

For the investigation of a diol phase (Inertsil Diol column) in hydrophilic interaction chromatography, urea, sucrose and glycine were used as test compounds. The chromatographic conditions were investigated for optimal column efficiency. The column temperature used in common reversed-phase liquid chromatography could also be used for the separation and the flow-rate should be adjusted to 0.3–0.5 ml/min to optimize column efficiency. It is suggested that the velocity of the hydrophilic interaction is slower than the hydrophobic interaction in RPLC. The addition of trifluoroacetic acid is effective for the retention of glycine, but ineffective for urea and sucrose. The diol phase exhibited sufficient chemical stability even if exposed to water in high percentage, and could be applied with isocratic elution for the separation/analysis of amino acids and glucose.