Exploring the effect of mesopore size reduction on the column performance of silica-based open tubular capillary columns

The recipes were applied in 5 μm i.d.-capillaries with a length of 60 cm. Efficiencies under retained conditions amounted up to N = 137,000 for the PLOT column with a layer thickness (df) of 300 nm and to N = 109,000 for the PLOT column with df = 550 nm. Working under conditions of similar retention, the narrow pore/high SA columns produced with the new 80 °C recipe generated the same number of theoretical plates as the wide pore size/low SA columns produced with the 95 °C recipe. This shows the 80 °C-hydrothermal treatment process allows for an increase in the phase ratio of the PLOT columns without affecting their intrinsic mass transfer properties and separation kinetics. This is further corroborated by the fact that the plate height curves generated with the new and former recipe can both be well-fitted with the Golay-Aris equation without having to change the intra-layer diffusion coefficient.