New hybrid polymeric liquid chromatography chiral stationary phase prepared by surface-initiated polymerization

A new hybrid organic/inorganic HPLC chiral stationary phase (CSP1) has been synthesized by the grafting from (g-from) radical polymerization of an enantiopure diacryloyl derivative of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane in the presence of mesoporous, azo-activated silica particles. The new chiral stationary phase has been fully characterized by elemental analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, inverse size exclusion chromatography and Van Deemter analysis. CSP1 shows improved chromatographic performances compared to its analog CSP2 synthesized by the alternative grafting to (g-to) approach in which the azo initiator is kept in solution. CSP1 can successfully resolve several chemically diverse chiral compounds, using both organic and water-based eluents (normal phase, polar organic, etc.).