Hydrosilated silica-based columns: The effects of mobile phase and temperature on dual hydrophilic-reversed-phase separation mechanism of phenolic acids

The effects of mobile phase composition and of temperature on the retention behavior of phenolic acids were studied on 4 hydrosilated (type C silica) based columns in buffered aqueous acetonitrile, both in the aqueous normal phase (HILIC) and in the reversed-phase mobile phase range. The UDC cholesterol and the C18 bidentate columns show significant reversed phase and normal-phase retention mechanisms, whereas very weak retention in the reversed-phase mode was observed on the silica hydride and the Diamond hydride columns. The concentration effects of the aqueous acetate buffer over the full mobile phase (HILIC and RP) composition range can be described by a simple four-parameter equation. At increasing temperature, the retention times and peak widths decrease both in the aqueous normal phase and in the reversed phase mobile phase range. Linear van’t Hoff log k versus 1/T plots were observed, indicating a single retention mechanism predominating in the highly organic (HILIC), like in highly aqueous (RP) mobile phase ranges. Besides the type of the stationary phase, the separation selectivity of phenolic acids strongly depends on temperature and on the mobile phase composition. From among the 4 hydrosilated columns compared in this work, the UDC cholesterol column has high temperature stability (up to 100 °C) and is most suitable for selective and efficient separations of phenolic acids both in the HILIC and in the RP modes.