Analytical performances of two liquid crystals and their mixture as stationary phases in capillary gas chromatography.

Comparative gas chromatographic applications of two new liquid crystals called LCa and LCb and their equimolar mixture LC(a+b) were investigated. The thermal properties of LCa, LCb and LC(a+b) were established with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry of LC(a+b) showed that the melting or clearing temperature was intermediate between the corresponding temperatures of the pure compounds. Polarizing microscopy showed that the liquid crystal phase of A + B was nematic. The chromatographic separation abilities LCa, LCb and LC(a+b) were studied using fused silica capillary columns. Interesting analytical performances were obtained: isomeric separation of aromatics, polyaromatics, phenols.

Synthesis, characterization and liquid chromatographic behaviours of a new chemically bonded liquid crystal.

A new bonded liquid crystal stationary phase (2OC12) for high-performance liquid chromatography was studied. It resulted from coupling of LiChrospher Si 100 NH2 and a mesogenic carboxylic acid, 4-(4-(4-(3,4-didoceyloxystyrenyl)phenyl-diazenyl)phenyloxy-methylene) benzoic acid (ILC). ILC was characterized with proton NMR and differential scanning calorimetry, while 2OC12 was characterized by solid state 13C NMR and elemental analysis. 2OC12 surface area was determined by the BET method. The chromatographic behaviour of 2OC12 was investigated under both normal- and reversed-phase conditions. The plots of ln k against 1/T showed transition temperatures at 325 and 337 K. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were separated using hexane, isooctane or hexane-chloroform. Above the transition temperatures, the bonded material exhibited a liquid crystal-like behaviour: (i) the plate number N was always highest possible, and (ii) the more retained the solute the more elongated it was (anthracene is eluted after phenanthrene, chrysene before tetracene, pentacene after dibenzo-a,h-anthracene). Using acetonitrile/water (60/40), reversed-phase data of aromatic hydrocarbons are similar (highest values of N, better resolution below than during the transitions).