Microsystems for Anion Exchange Separation of Radionuclides in Nitric Acid Media

An efficient and reproducible photopolymerized poly(ethylene glycol methacrylate methacrylate-co- allyl methacrylate) monolith was synthesized and a photografting process based on the ene-thiol click-chemistry has been performed to give anion exchange properties to the monolith. Since their introduction in the early 1990s polymethacrylate monoliths have emerged as a powerful alternative for microscale separations or sample treatment. Their relatively simple implementation in columns with small internal diameters makes them particularly attractive for the new chromatographic challenges of complex matrices analysis and on-chip separations. Despite their relatively poor ion-exchange capacity due to their highly porous structure, their use as anion exchangers is of large interest for nuclear analysis as numerous separations are based on this process. This paper presents a systematic study of the synthesis of the polymeric porous monolith and the versatile and robust functionalization method developed for the specific strong acidic media used in radiochemical procedures. The robustness of the stationary phase was tested in concentrated nitric acid.