Chromatographic characterization of macroporous monolithic silica prepared via sol-gel process

A continuous porous silica monolith prepared by the sol-gel process including phase separation was aged in a basic solvent making use of hydrolysis of urea to prepare extended mesopore structures for chromatographic applications. The dissolution–reprecipitation kinetics at the interfaces between wet gel skeletons and an external solvent affected the size and volume of pores formed within the skeletons. At above 200°C, the pore size attained the macropore dimensions (>50 nm). The results of chromatography indicate that the monolithic silica column with wide mesopore could reduce the separation time compared to the conventional column packed with 5 μm silica particle.