Core-shell particles lead the way to renewing high-performance liquid chromatography

• Core-shell particles are one of the hottest topics in analytical chemistry.
• We review the analytical advantages of columns packed with core-shell particles.
• We review fundamentals and applications of columns packed with core-shell particles.
• We overview the theory of columns packed with core-shell particles from a practical viewpoint.
• We review applications for developing and optimizing methods in liquid chromatography.

In this review, we present the latest highlights and trends in the use of core-shell particles as stationary phases in columns for liquid chromatography (LC). These highly homogeneous particles have a diameter of 1.3–5 µm with a solid silica core and a porous surface that make their performance excellent compared to fully-porous particles. Use of these columns has been growing exponentially since their first large-scale manufacture in 2006, and they are an emerging trend in the analysis of biological, toxicological and pharmaceutically interesting compounds. We review the main theoretical aspects responsible for their surprisingly good chromatographic behavior and analytical features. We also summarize state-of-the-art analytical applications taking advantage of this column technology that is leading the current revolution in LC.