Monolithic Chromatography and its Modern Applications

High-performance liquid chromatography has become the predominant global separation technique over the past four decades. However, the recent development of an alternative column packing material – a one-piece porous solid known as a ‘monolith’ – has transformed the field. Monoliths have attracted a large amount of interest due to the enhanced speed and thoroughness with which they can separate complex mixtures of biological molecules.

Monoliths are porous rod structures characterised by mesopores and macropores. These pores provide monoliths with high permeability, a large number of channels and a high surface area available for reactivity. The backbone of a monolithic column is composed of either an organic or inorganic substrate and can easily be chemically altered for specific applications. Their unique structure gives them several physico–mechanical properties that enable them to perform competitively against traditionally packed columns.

“ ...likely to inspire both seasoned scientists already working with monoliths and novices who want to encounter them for the first time and see how they can be applied in their work... a helpful

resource for scientists and practitioners engaged in analytical chemistry and related fields. ”

F. Svec, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA, in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

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