Polymers imprinted with clenbuterol were used to study the influence of various post-polymerization treatments [e.g., thermal annealing, microwave assisted extraction (MAE), Soxhlet extraction and supercritical fluid template desorption] on the bleeding of residual template. The aim of the study was to reduce the bleeding to levels that would allow the use of the materials as affinity phases for extraction of clenbuterol from bovine urine at concentrations below 1 ng ml-1. After treatment, the clenbuterol imprinted polymers were packed into solid-phase extraction columns and the bleeding was estimated by quantifying the amount of template released in 10 ml of methanol-acetic acid (9 + 1 v/v). This was followed by an assessment of selectivity and recovery in comparison with non-treated material. The lowest bleeding level was found after MAE using 100% trifluoroacetic acid for 3 x 20 min at 100 degrees C. The collected eluate contained in this case 3 ng ml-1 of clenbuterol. The same material was subsequently used for the extraction of clenbuterol from spiked bovine urine. The resulting selectivity and recovery were lower compared with those obtained using the untreated material. A milder but still efficient method to reduce the bleeding level was found to be MAE with formic acid. In this case a bleeding level of 14 ng ml-1 was found after only a 1 h extraction time. In a second model system, using a polymer imprinted with L-phenylalanine anilide, the bleeding was reduced to a similar level by extensive on-line washing in good swelling solvents containing acid or base additives and after thermal annealing of the polymers in the dry state.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), for the templates free base racemic propranolol and the L-enantiomer of phenylalanine anilide (L-PA), were investigated as stationary phases in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Large retention differences were observed on the propranolol MIP for both the template molecule and the structural analogue metoprolol compared to that observed on the corresponding blank polymer. Mobile phase composition and solute concentration were found to affect this retention behaviour. The phenylalanine anilide MIP (L-PA MIP) was found to be enantioselective in SFC with stronger retention observed for the template enantiomer. Throughout the study, characteristic imprinting peak shapes for the stronger retained template molecule were observed for both MIPs examined. After a number of days under supercritical fluid conditions, the performance of the photochemically initiated L-PA MIP was found to significantly deteriorate whereas the thermally initiated propranolol MIP revealed only small changes in its separation performance after a long term of operation. The separation behaviour of these two MIPs in SFC was compared with results obtained on the same columns in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) both before and after their application in SFC.

The morphology of C-30 alkyl chains bonded to different inorganic substrates such as fine ground glass particles, silica gel as well as silica wafers has been investigated by the combined use of solid-state NMR spectroscopy and ellipsometry. It could be shown that the average phase thickness of the bonded C-30 layer of 29 Angstrom is primarily dependent upon the employed polymeric surface reaction procedure and does not reflect the type of the employed inorganic substrate. A refined model of the C-30 alkyl chain organization for solution polymerization on silica surfaces could be developed.

The dynamic behavior of two n-hexyl fluorenyl phases (fluorene-6A [3a(Tn)(Qm)y], fluorene-6B [3b(Tn)(Qm)y]) and three n-decyl fluorenyl phases (fluorene-10A [4a(Tn)(Qm)y], fluorene-10B [4b(Tn)(Qm)y], and fluorene-10C [4c(M1)(Qm)y]) is investigated by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy using the dipolar filter technique with both 13C and 1H detection. These results are compared with those from other dynamic measurements, like the relaxation times in the rotating frame (T1pH) and the variation of the contact time (T(CH)). Additionally, another type of a fluorenyl phase [5a(Tn)(Qm)y], which has an aromatic moiety connected to the silica gel by amido couplings, was also investigated by the dipolar filter method. The solid-state NMR dynamic measurements indicate an increased mobility of the n-alkyl fluorenyl phases compared to the amido coupled fluorenyl phase. The lower the ligand density of the studied n-alkyl fluorenyl phases, the higher their mobility. The separation behavior of the respective phases in high-performance liquid chromatography was investigated with samples containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitro explosives. Depending on the amount of the chemically bound aromatic moiety and the length of their n-alkyl spacer groups, pi-pi interactions with the solute molecules are involved in the separation process and cause it to proceed at a different rate. Therefore, n-alkyl fluorenyl phases can be classified as mixed-mode phases.

The structure of a C18 phase based on titania (C18-A), synthesized by the method of solution polymerization, is investigated by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The findings are compared with the results of a second C18 phase based on titania (C18-B) which was synthesized by the method of surface hydrosilation. The dynamic behavior of both phases is examined by1H MAS NMR detection of spinlattice relaxation times in the rotating frame (T1pH) and conventional spin-lattice relaxation times (T1). Due to a smaller ligand density, phase C18-A appears to be a somewhat more mobile than phase C18-B.

A new class of silica gel-bound fluorene phases is described. The compounds are synthesized via reaction of fluorenyl lithium with ω-alkenyl bromides leading to 9-(5′-hexenyl)-9H- and 9-(9′-decenyl)-9H-fluorene (1 and 2), followed by hydrosilation reactions with different hydrosilanes. The resulting ω-functionalized silylalkyl fluorenes 3a(T0), 3b(T0), 4a(T0), 4b(T0) and 4c(M0) (Scheme 1) react with surface silanol groups of silica gel to generate the new fluorene phases 3a(Tn)(Qm)y, 3b(Tn)(Qm)y, 4a(Tn)(Qm)y, 4b(Tn)(Qm)y and 4c(M1)(Qm)y. The phases are characterized by employing 1H, 13C and 29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Their applicability in high-performance liquid chromatography is proved by the Sander and Wise test (SRM 869). In contrast to conventional n-alkyl phases, π–π interactions are additionally involved in the separation process and, therefore, the retention times of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons sample molecules depend on the ligand densities of the applied fluorene phases.

Ligand mobility of silica-based HPLC stationary phases modified by various surface coverages of acridine-9-carboxy(N-aminoethylaminopropyl)amide ligands was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements, as well as solid-state 13C-CP/MAS- and 1H-MAS-NMR spectroscopy. Rotational correlation times, τR, of the bound acridine fluorophore obtained from fluorescence anisotropy measurements are significantly longer in the bound phase, than in solution. Also, in time-resolved experiments anisotropies do not decay to zero. These results are interpreted in terms of wobble-in-cone ligand motion. The mobility of the fluorophore in the presence of liquid phase correlates strongly with the solubility of the model compound acridine-9-carboxy-n-butylamide in the same solvent. In the good solvent acetonitrile τR = 3.2 ns is found, whereas in methanol, τR > 80 ns is obtained. NMR measurements of the dry phase yield large linewidths, cross polarization constants, TCH, and spin-lattice relaxation times, T1ρH, shifting around the minimum in the correlation time curve. Both fluorescence and NMR data indicate medium to low ligand mobility. No difference in the mobilities of alkyl spacer and aromatic group is observed, probably due to the rigidity of the amide group.

Four new stationary phases for HPLC were prepared by modifying silica gel with a trifunctional aminoalkyl silane. A conjugated pi-electron system was linked to the amino group either directly or with a carboxylic anhydride as a spacer in between. Characterization and dynamic measurements of the new stationary phases were performed by solid state NMR spectroscopy. The results of the Si-29 and C-13 CP/MAS techniques were compared with the recently developed H-1 MAS-only technique. Despite strong homonuclear dipole-dipole interactions it was possible to obtain well resolved H-1 MAS spectra of those stationary phases with a high degree of crosslinking. Limited mobility of the aromatic ligand fragments is common for all examined stationary phases.The chromatographic properties of the new phases were tested by their ability to separate a mixture of eight PAHs. It could be shown that the pi-pi interaction mechanism is responsible for the separation of the eight PAHs, because the elution order of the PAHs did not change, despite the use of both a nonpolar mobile phase (n-heptane) and a polar mobile phase (methanol/water mixture).

Stationary interphases with long n-alkyl chains (n = 18, 22, 30, 34) have been examined by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The determination of the silane functionality and the degree of cross-linking of silane ligands on the silica surface was performed by 29Si CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. High-speed 1H MAS and 13C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy were utilized to assess alkyl chain order and mobility of the different bonded phases. For this purpose, 1H NMR line widths and 13C chemical shifts have been evaluated. It is shown that stationary phase order and rigidity increase with alkyl chain length. In addition, the temperature-dependent trans/gauche conformational change occurs at higher temperatures for a polymeric C34 phase compared with a C30 sorbent. This behaviour is discussed in the context of previously reported Chromatographic (HPLC) shape selectivity differences.

This work reports the synthesis and characterization of a new polystyrene-based graft copolymer. By immobilization of transition metal complexes it shows high potential for selective heterogeneous hydrogenation under outstanding mild conditions. Here, a branched poly(ethylene imine) with average Mr around 3×104 was used to be grafted on acetylated polystyrene beads. 13C solid state NMR investigations demonstrate a high mobility and flexibility of the chains of this spacer due to branching as compared to, e.g., linear poly(ethylene glycol) with Mr around 3000.