Use of polymer fiber stationary phases for liquid chromatography separations: Part I – physical and chemical rationale

The idea of using polymer fibers as stationary phases for LC is not a new one. There are in fact a number of good reasons for which they should be considered. To this point though, they have not produced sufficiently good performance to garner much commercial interest. Presented here are the physical and chemical rationale by which they should show enhanced performance relative to conventional stationary phases. Most notably, the mass transport and hydrodynamic characteristics suggest applications in areas of macromolecule and prep-scale separations. Additionally, there exists an incredible wealth of polymer surface chemistries and potential derivatization pathways that greatly exceed what is practical on conventional silica supports. The potential for important impact suggests further research into polymer fiber phases.