Chromolith^® CapRod^®

Speed and Sensitivity for High-Throughput LC Applications

Chromolith® CapRod® capillary HPLC columns combine the speed of monolithic silica technology with the sensitivity of nano-LC, enabling new productivity levels for high-throughput, high-sensitivity proteomics LC applications. The columns are designed for the efficient and selective separation of peptides and protein digests. In particular, capillary and nano-LC applications benefit from the columns’ proprietary sol-gel technology base.

Advantages of Monolithic Capillary Columns

Monolithic capillary columns have become increasingly important in the separation of biomolecules, especially in combination with mass spectrometry. In contrast to particulate columns, monolithic capillaries do not require frits, and have a much lower tendency to clog. This enables higher flow rates, a vastly improved separation speed, and an enhanced biomolecule characterization quality. The strongly growing interest for micro and nano-HPLC is met with Merck’s wide range of monolithic silica capillaries.

Superior Performance and Productivity

Compared to particulate capillary columns, Chromolith® CapRod® capillaries exhibit better performance with optimal resolution (narrow peak widths), enhanced sample throughput, and prolonged column lifetime. Furthermore, column length is less limited when compared to any other type of column. Capillaries can even be bent to a certain degree in order to achieve the best possible fit for any LC configuration and instrument. Chromolith® CapRod® monolithic capillary columns are designed to work with various nano or capillary LC systems, providing superior efficiency and performance when coupled to mass spectrometers, both on-line (ESI, nanospray) and off-line (MALDI).

Higher Flow Rates

In contrast to classical micro-particulate sorbents, Chromolith® CapRod® columns can be operated at higher flow rates – without loss of performance or other limitations due to column back pressure. Furthermore, flow rates can be dramatically increased without compromising resolution. Separations can be achieved at 1-3 μL/min, compared to 200-400 μL/min for conventional media on a standard 100 μm LC capillary column.

Unique Bimodal Pore Structure

The excellent separations provided by Chromolith® CapRod® columns are achieved by combining two types of pores to create a highly porous monolithic rod of pure silica. The large macropores (~ 2 µm) allow the eluent to flow rapidly, resulting in dramatically reduced separation times. The small mesopores (13 nm) form the fine-pore structure of the capillary interior, creating a substantial surface area onto which adsorption of the target molecule can occur. This results in separations in only a fraction of the time required by conventional particulate capillary columns.

Column Range

Chromolith® CapRod® columns are available in a selection of internal diameters (50 μm, 100 μm and 200 μm), bonded phases (C8, C18), pore structures (standard and high resolution), and lengths (5, 15 and 30 cm). The columns are supplied complete with sleeves and standard 1/16” PEEK fittings to allow for direct coupling to a UV detector or mass spectrometer. We also offer trapping capillaries which protect the separation column and optimize efficiency when using complex biological samples.

Features and Benefits

• Superior performance with optimal resolution (narrow peak widths)
• Enhanced sample throughput for maximum productivity
• Greater efficiency due to prolonged column lifetime
• Higher flow rates thanks to unique bimodal pore structure
• Greater flexibility for best fit to any LC configuration and instrument

Specifications

Flow Rates

Recommended Use and Flow Rate Ranges

Application Examples

Excellent reproducibility for biological compounds

Separation on Chromolith CapRod RP-8 endcapped

Trypsin digested Cytochrom C

Small molecules