Using curtain flow second-generation silica monoliths to improve separations at pressures less than 400 bar

•A curtain flow second-generation silica monolith was evaluated.•The efficiency of the monolith was 50% greater than a conventional monolith.•Sensitivity was up to 365% higher than conventional columns.•Performance was comparable to 2.6 μm core-shell separations, but under 400 bar.

The performance of a second-generation analytical-scale silica monolith utilizing the curtain flow (CF) column design was studied for the first time. The performance of the CF column was compared to a conventional monolith column under isocratic conditions, and the new column achieved a gain in theoretical plates by as much as 50%, with almost Gaussian bands being obtained (asymmetry factor of 1.02). Detection sensitivity increased by as much as 125% under optimal detection conditions. The sensitivity and performance was also chromatographically compared to a core-shell column under both gradient and isocratic elution for a model compound (polystyrene) and a natural product (coffee sample) with sensitivity gains of up to 365%. The second-generation monolithic CF column is an excellent tool that can be tuned to provide highly efficient, highly sensitive, high-throughput, and low volumetric detection analyses, using conventional HPLC systems