Boron nitride nanotubes and their functionalization via quinuclidine-3-thiol with gold nanoparticles for the development and enhancement of the HPLC performance of HPLC monolithic columns

► Attached gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) on to the surface of thiol-terminated Boron Nitiride Nanotubes (BNNT). ► Presence of Au-NPs on the BNNT surface improved significantly the retention and column efficiency for compounds with thiol groups in their structure. ► BNNT was a very useful nanomaterial for the development of novel HPLC stationary phases and increased the performance of classical equivalent C18 monolithic columns.