Stationary phases for chromatography prepared by ring opening metathesis polymerization

The chemistry of metathesis polymerization-derived stationary phases is summarized. Since both ring-opening metathesis and 1-alkyne polymerization triggered by well-defined transition metal alkylidenes are living polymerization methods, they allow for the controlled and highly reproducible synthesis of stationary phases in terms of both the nature and total content of the functional group(s) of interest. In addition, the high functionality tolerance of these polymerization techniques allows for creating chromatographic supports with an unprecedented diversity in terms of functional groups that may be introduced. Their applications in various areas of separation science such as SPE, ion-chromatography, RP chromatography, chiral chromatography, and the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of biomolecules are summarized. Within the context of the latter topic, special attention will be given to metathesis polymerization-derived monolithic supports. Consideration will also be given to those aspects of polymer chemistry that are relevant to the separation performance of these supports.