Mixed-mode chromatographic performance using nicotinic acid-functionalized chito-oligosaccharide-bonded Ti/Si hybrid monolithic capillary columns

This article describes the fabrication of porous nicotinic acid-functionalized chito-oligosaccharide-bonded titania/silica hybrid monoliths (TiO2/SiO2@ChO-N) through a co-gelation sol–gel process. A capillary monolith with a well-defined and homogeneous structure was obtained by controlling the hydrolysis speed of titanium alkoxides in a sol mixture by using glycerol and acetylacetone. As a result of the functionalization with chito-oligosaccharides (ChO)-modified nicotinic acid, the obtained stationary phase provides superior physiochemical properties, such as a cationic hydrophilic surface, porosity, and mechanical strength. Scanning electron microscope and attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the functionalized monolithic columns. The produced capillary columns showed high chromatographic performance with acceptable selectivity for charged analytes as well as organic polar compounds such as nucleic bases, nucleosides, carbamate pesticides, and strobilurin fungicides. The obtained results also indicated that the functionalized ChO's amino, amide, hydroxyl, and pyridinium ring moieties served as hydrophilic electrostatic traps for charged substances, in addition to stroing π–π interaction with the carbamate pesticides and strobilurin fungicides analytes via hydrogen bonding.