Ionic liquid-modified silica as a new stationary phase for chromatographic separation

A new stationary phase based on silica modified with 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium chloride was synthesized and characterized in this paper. A derivative of 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium chloride was used to chemically modify the surface of silica particles to act as the stationary phase for HPLC. The modified particles were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), (13)C NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The surface modification procedure rendered particles with a surface coverage of 0.89 mu mol/m(2) of alkylimidazolium chloride. Columns packed with the modified silica and blank silica particles were tested under HPLC conditions. Preliminary evaluation of the stationary phase for HPLC was performed using aromatic compounds as model compounds. The separation mechanism appears to involve multiple interactions including ion exchange, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions.