Epoxy-Amine Monolith for Chromatography Back Pressure Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional organic polymer monoliths for chromatographic use suffer from issues such as high back pressure at high flow rates, morphological changes due to compressibility, and difficulty in forming in columns with diameters of 1 mm or more, resulting in a small specific surface area and particle-aggregation-type monoliths with poor performance.
Innovation Solution
A monolith separation medium is developed with a skeletal phase composed of an addition polymer of a bi- or higher-functional epoxy compound and a bi- or higher-functional amine compound, specifically using 1,3-bis(N,N′-diglycidylaminomethyl)cyclohexane and a bi- or higher-functional amine, which undergoes polymerization at elevated temperatures to form a stable, co-continuous structure with interconnected pores, reducing shrinkage and allowing easy column filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional organic polymer monoliths are formed using hydrophobic monomer components and poor solvents, then gel formation occurs due to particle aggregation, but this results in a particle-aggregation-type monolith with large pore tortuosity factor and small specific surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using hydrophilic monomer components instead of hydrophobic ones, and by adjusting the solvent system to include water-soluble porogens. This parameter change prevents particle aggregation and enables the formation of a uniform skeletal structure with controlled pore distribution, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and structural precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material design by combining hydrophilic monomers with water-soluble porogens in a specific ratio range (5:95 to 45:55 by weight). This composite approach creates a synergistic effect where the hydrophilic monomer forms the skeletal structure while the water-soluble porogen creates uniform pores, achieving both ease of manufacture and high structural precision simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional organic polymer monoliths are used in columns with inner diameter of 1 mm or more, then they can be formed, but they peel off from the column tubes due to compressibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the monolith by adjusting the monomer-to-porogen ratio and selecting specific hydrophilic monomers that form more compliant polymers. This changes the compressibility parameter, allowing the monolith to adapt to column tubes of various sizes (including 1 mm or more inner diameter) without peeling, thus improving both adaptability and reliability.
3Productivity
If conventional organic polymer monoliths are used at high flow rates, then separation can be performed, but back pressure increases due to large pore tortuosity factor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pore structure parameters by using water-soluble porogens that create more open and less tortuous pore networks. This parameter change reduces the pore tortuosity factor, allowing high flow rates to be maintained with lower back pressure, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and pressure.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional organic polymer monoliths are used, then they can be formed, but they have morphological change due to compressibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the polymer composition parameters by selecting hydrophilic monomers that form polymers with appropriate glass transition temperatures and cross-linking densities. This parameter change improves morphological stability, preventing compression-induced deformation while maintaining ease of manufacture in standard column formats.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting monolith separation medium achieves a high-performance, non-particle-aggregation-type co-continuous structure with reduced shrinkage and increased organic content, suitable for various-sized columns, offering improved chromatographic performance and stability compared to conventional monoliths.
Implementation Method 1
heating the solution to obtain a polymer
Implementation Method 2
stably cross-linking the polymer before a non-particle-aggregation-type co-continuous structure of the polymer and the porogen transits to a particle aggregation structure
Implementation Method 3
spinodally decomposing the porogen and the polymer
Implementation Method 4
addition polymer of a bi- or higher-functional epoxy compound and a bi- or higher-functional amine compound
Data Source
AI summary
A monolith separation medium comprising a skeletal phase and continuous pores forming a three-dimensional network structure, which has a functional group enabling the introduction of a new functional group on the surface of the skeletal phase. The skeletal phase has an average diameter of a submicron to micrometer size and is in a co-continuous structure of the non-particle-aggregation type. It is composed of an addition polymer of 1,3-bis(N,N′-diglycidylaminomethyl)cyclohexane as an epoxy compound with a bifunctional or higher amine compound, is rich in organic matters and is free from any aromatic-origin carbon atom. Thus, it is an organic polymer monolith separation medium of the non-particle-aggregation type.