Latex-Coated Polymeric Monolithic Ion-Exchange Stationary Phases. 1. Anion-Exchange Capillary Electrochromatography and In-Line Sample Preconcentration in Capillary Electrophoresis

Polymeric monolithic microcartridges with gold nanoparticles for the analysis of protein biomarkers by on-line solid-phase extraction capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

In this study, polymeric monoliths with gold nanoparticles (AuNP@monolith) were investigated as microcartridges for the analysis of protein biomarkers by on-line solid-phase extraction capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (SPE-CE-MS). "Plug-and-play" microcartridges (7 mm) were prepared from a glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-based monolithic capillary column (5 cm x 250 µm i.d.), which was modified with ammonia and subsequently functionalized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The performance of these novel microcartridges was evaluated with human transthyretin (TTR), which is a protein related to different types of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathies (FAP). Protein retention depended on the isoelectric point of the protein (TTR pI~5.4) and elution was achieved with a basic phosphate solution. Under the optimized conditions, limits of detection (LODs) for TTR by AuNP@monolith-SPE-CE-MS were 50 times lower than by CE-MS (5 vs 250 mg•L^-1, with an ion trap (IT) mass spectrometer). The sensitivity enhancement was similar compared to SPE-CE-MS using immunoaffinity (IA) microcartridges with intact antibodies against TTR. Linearity, repeatability in migration times and peak areas, reusability, reproducibility and application to serum samples were also evaluated.

A critical retrospective and prospective review of designs and materials in in-line solid-phase extraction capillary electrophoresis

Several strategies have been developed to decrease the concentration limits of detection (LODs) in capillary electrophoresis (CE). Nowadays, chromatographic-based preconcentration using a microcartridge integrated in the separation capillary for in-line solid-phase extraction capillary electrophoresis (SPE-CE) is one of the best alternatives for high throughput and reproducible sample clean-up and analyte preconcentration. This review covers different designs (geometrical configurations, with frits or fritless, capillary types, compatibility with commercial instrumentation, etc.) and materials (sorbents, supports, affinity ligands, etc.) applied for almost 30 years to prepare in-line SPE-CE microcartridges (i.e. analyte concentrators), with emphasis on the conventional unidirectional configuration in capillary format. Advantages, disadvantages and future perspectives are analyzed in detail to provide the reader a wide overview about the great potential of this technique to enhance sensitivity and address trace analysis.

Polymer brush decorated nanoparticles immobilised on polymer monoliths for enhanced biopolymer elution

Polymer monoliths uniformly covered with polymer brush nanoparticles are fabricated and the elution properties investigated with myoglobin and blue dextran.

TiO₂ nanoparticles functionalized monolithic capillary microextraction online coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the analysis of Gd ion and Gd-based contrast agents in human urine

In this work, a novel method of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized monolithic capillary microextraction (CME) online coupling with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) was developed for the sequential determination of Gd(3+) and Gd-based contrast agents in human urine samples. The monolithic capillary was prepared by embedding anatase TiO2 NPS in the poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (MAA-EDMA) framework. The Gd(3+) and Gd-based contrast agents (such as gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and Gd-DTPA-bismethylamide (Gd-DTPA-BMA)) display different adsorption behaviors on the prepared monolithic capillary which possesses the adsorption properties of both anatase TiO2 NPS and poly(MAA-EDMA) monolith. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) were found to be 3.6, 3.2, and 4.5 ng L(-1) for Gd(3+), Gd-DTPA, and Gd-DTPA-BMA, respectively, which are the lowest up to date. The enrichment factor was 25-fold with the sample throughput of 5 h(-1). The proposed method was validated by the analysis of Gd(3+) and Gd-DTPA in the healthy human urine samples as well as Gd(3+) and Gd-DTPA-BMA in patient urine samples. It was found that only a small amount of the free Gd(3+) was released from Gd-DTPA-BMA, and accurate results could be obtained since no oxidation/reduction or subtraction is involved in this method. This method is simple, sensitive, and rapid and provides a very attractive nonchromatography strategy for the speciation of Gd(3+) and Gd-based contrast agents in urine samples.

Rapid HPLC-DAD quantitation of sulfonamides in honey using poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith modified with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate-grafted sodium titanate nanotubes

Poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith modified with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate-grafted sodium titanate nanotubes was prepared for microextraction of sulfonamides.

Preparation of porous polymer monoliths featuring enhanced surface coverage with gold nanoparticles

A new approach to the preparation of porous polymer monoliths with enhanced coverage of pore surface with gold nanoparticles has been developed. First, a generic poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith was reacted with cystamine followed by the cleavage of its disulfide bonds with tris(2-carboxylethyl)phosphine, which liberated the desired thiol groups. Dispersions of gold nanoparticles with sizes varying from 5 to 40 nm were then pumped through the functionalized monoliths. The materials were then analyzed using both energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. We found that the quantity of attached gold was dependent on the size of nanoparticles, with the maximum attachment of more than 60 wt% being achieved with 40 nm nanoparticles. Scanning electron micrographs of the cross sections of all the monoliths revealed the formation of a non-aggregated, homogenous monolayer of nanoparticles. The surface of the bound gold was functionalized with 1-octanethiol and 1-octadecanethiol, and these monolithic columns were used successfully for the separations of proteins in reversed phase mode. The best separations were obtained using monoliths modified with 15, 20, and 30 nm nanoparticles since these sizes produced the most dense coverage of pore surface with gold.

Collection of peptides released from single neurons with particle-embedded monolithic capillaries followed by detection with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Characterization of the stimulated release of neuropeptides from brain slices and individual cultured neurons requires efficient collection of the releasate from relatively large volumes of physiological saline. Here, several collection approaches are optimized using particle-embedded monolithic capillaries (PEMCs) with poly(stearyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolith acting as a "glue". Two distinct extraction particles, with either pyrrolidone (PY) or ethylenediamine (EDA) as the functional group on polystyrene backbone, have been embedded into capillaries having an inner diameter of 250 μm. The capillaries act as collection devices for sampling neuropeptide release; the collection protocols are described, and the extraction efficiency of the probes are characterized. Specifically, the binding of angiotensin II from a peptide mixture onto the PY and EDA columns was 16 and 28 pmol, respectively, in a volume of 20 μL of saline. The peptides released from these columns have been characterized via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry with low femtomole detection limits. When the PEMC columns were positioned in close proximity to individual neurons and 50 mM KCl was used as the secretagogue, peptides released from individual identified cultured neurons isolated from Aplysia californica were collected and characterized.

Quest for organic polymer-based monolithic columns affording enhanced efficiency in high performance liquid chromatography separations of small molecules in isocratic mode

The separations of small molecules using columns containing porous polymer monoliths invented two decades ago went a long way from the very modest beginnings to the current capillary columns with efficiencies approaching those featured by their silica-based counterparts. This review article presents a variety of techniques that have been used to form capillary formats of monolithic columns with enhanced separation performance in isocratic elutions. The following text first describes the traditional approaches used for the preparation of efficient monoliths comprising variations in polymerization conditions including temperature as well as composition of monomers and porogenic solvents. Encouraging results of these experiments fueled research of completely new preparation methods such as polymerization to an incomplete conversion, use of single crosslinker, hypercrosslinking, and incorporation of carbon nanotubes that are described in the second part of the text.

Iron oxide nanoparticle coating of organic polymer-based monolithic columns for phosphopeptide enrichment

A new monolithic capillary column with an iron oxide nanoparticle coating has been developed for selective and efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides. Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by a co-precipitation method and stabilized by citrate ions. A stable coating of nanoparticles was obtained via multivalent electrostatic interactions of citrate ions on the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles with a quaternary amine functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith. A high dynamic binding capacity of 86 μmol/mL column volume was measured with an adenosine-5'-triphosphate. Performance of the monolithic column was demonstrated with the efficient and selective enrichment of phosphopeptides from peptide mixtures of α-casein and β-casein digests and their MALDI/MS characterization in off-line mode.

Incorporation of carbon nanotubes in porous polymer monolithic capillary columns to enhance the chromatographic separation of small molecules

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been entrapped in monolithic poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) capillary columns to afford stationary phases with enhanced liquid chromatographic performance for small molecules in the reversed phase. While the column with no nanotubes exhibited an efficiency of only 1800 plates/m, addition of a small amount of nanotubes to the polymerization mixture increased the efficiency to over 15,000 and 35,000 plates/m at flow rates of 1 and 0.15 μL/min, respectively. Alternatively, the native glycidyl methacrylate-based monolith was functionalized with ammonia and, then, shortened carbon nanotubes, bearing carboxyl functionalities, were attached to the pore surface through the aid of electrostatic interactions with the amine functionalities. Reducing the pore size of the monolith enhanced the column efficiency for the retained analyte, benzene, to 30,000 plates/m at a flow rate of 0.25 μL/min. Addition of tetrahydrofuran to the typical aqueous acetonitrile eluents improved the peak shape and increased the column efficiency to 44,000 plates/m calculated for the retained benzene peak.

Monolithic phases for ion chromatography

Monolithic media are continuing to increase in popularity in chromatographic applications, and the ongoing use of commercially available materials in ion chromatography (IC) has made monoliths a viable alternative to packed-bed columns for routine use. We discuss different strategies for the synthesis of polymeric and silica monoliths with ion-exchange functionality, such as direct incorporation of ion-exchange functionality during monolith preparation and different postpolymerization alterations such as grafting and coating. The formulations and strategies presented are focused on materials intended for use in IC. We also discuss strategies for materials characterization, with emphasis on nondestructive techniques for the characterization of monolith surface functionality, especially those with applicability to in situ analysis. Finally, we describe selected IC applications of polymeric and silica monoliths published from 2008 to 2010.

Porous polymer monolithic column with surface-bound gold nanoparticles for the capture and separation of cysteine-containing peptides

A new porous polymer monolithic capillary column modified with gold nanoparticles that enables the selective capture of cysteine-containing peptides has been developed to reduce the complexity of peptide mixtures generated in bottom-up proteomic analysis. The column is prepared from a poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith through reaction of some of its epoxide moieties with cysteamine to afford a monolith rich in surface thiol groups. In situ reduction of chloroauric acid within the column is then used to form gold nanoparticles attached to the surface of the pores of the monolith. This process preserves the excellent hydrodynamic properties of the monolithic column while providing a means to selectively retain cysteine-containing peptides from an analyte due to their high affinity for gold. Release of the retained peptides is subsequently achieved with an excess of 2-mercaptoethanol. The loading capacity determined for l-cysteine using frontal elution is 2.58 mumol/m. Since the gold-thiol link is less stable at elevated temperatures, the adsorption capacity is recovered by washing the column at 80 degrees C for 2 h. While regeneration is easy, the multiplicity of bonds between the monolithic support and the gold nanoparticles prevents their elution even under harsh conditions such as treatment with pure 2-mercaptoethanol or treatment with boiling water for 5 h. Application of the gold modified monolith in tandem with a packed C18 capillary column is demonstrated with baseline separation of a peptide mixture achieved in a two step process. The first involves retention of cysteine-containing peptides in monolith with reversed phase separation of all other peptides, while the retained peptides are released from monolith and separated in the second step.

Porous polymer monoliths: amazingly wide variety of techniques enabling their preparation

The porous polymer monoliths went a long way since their invention two decades ago. While the first studies applied the traditional polymerization processes at that time well established for the preparation of polymer particles, creativity of scientists interested in the monolithic structures has later led to the use of numerous less common techniques. This review article presents vast variety of methods that have meanwhile emerged. The text first briefly describes the early approaches used for the preparation of monoliths comprising standard free radical polymerizations and includes their development up to present days. Specific attention is paid to the effects of process variables on the formation of both porous structure and pore surface chemistry. Specific attention is also devoted to the use of photopolymerization. Then, several less common free radical polymerization techniques are presented in more detail such as those initiated by gamma-rays and electron beam, the preparation of monoliths from high internal phase emulsions, and cryogels. Living processes including stable free radicals, atom transfer radical polymerization, and ring-opening metathesis polymerization are also discussed. The review ends with description of preparation methods based on polycondensation and polyaddition reactions as well as on precipitation of preformed polymers affording the monolithic materials.