High-resolution magic angle spinning description of the interaction states and their kinetics among basic solutes and functionalized silica materials

Modeling of the interaction is crucial to understanding and predicting chromatography. However, the complexity and variety of the grafted motifs render the creation of an accurate model overwhelmingly challenging, so that most often the classification of column separation properties is described by monitoring the retention times of carefully selected control molecules. We analyzed here the characteristics of the interplay of compounds of basic nature by 1H HRMAS NMR, which provide relevant descriptors for products with pharmaceutical properties, with chromatographic phases for Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography. Eight grafted silica phases were selected, differing to enhance specific structural properties (monomeric and polymeric grafts, endcapping or not, carbon content, alkyl with polar embedded group or alkyl bonded chain, chemical nature of end capping, native silica). These materials were put in interaction with five basic molecules, previously chosen as probes for the evaluation of efficient base deactivated liquid stationary phases using five theoretical molecular descriptors to cover a large scale of molecular volume, polar surface area, Log P, hydrogen-bond donor capacity and finally hydrogen-bond acceptor capacity. 1H HRMAS NMR was capable of describing qualitatively a wealth of interaction states, characterized both thermodynamically and kinetically. In one case (penbutolol) up to five interaction states could be differentiated. Variable temperature experiments revealed the complexity of the retention process on grafted silica as in some cases the kinetics of the interaction is shown to slow down on increasing the temperature.