Sean G. Traynor

Polydentate phosphonium salts for the deactivation of wall-coated open-tubular columns : Comparison of temperature stability with other deactivation methods

Abstract The deactivation of glass capillary columns by polydentate phosphonium bromides has been demonstrated and compared with other methods of deactivation in the temperature range of 150 to 325°. Glass capillary columns treated with tetradentate phosphonium bromides proved to be considerably more stable than columns treated with benzyltriphenylphosphonium chloride (BTPPCl), toasted Carbowax or silanizing agents. Columns deactivated with the polyphosphonium bromides and subsequently coated with a liquid phase showed excellent peak symmetry for highly polar compounds even after having been heated to 275° for 16 h. A column deactivated with BTPPCl and similarly coated showed a considerable loss of resolution when subjected to the same conditions.