Tentacle-type zwitterionic stationary phase prepared by surface-initiated graft polymerization of 3-[N,N-dimethyl-N-(methacryloyloxyethyl)-ammonium] propanesulfonate through peroxide groups tethered on porous silica.

A novel stationary phase with tentacle-type zwitterionic interaction layer was synthesized by free radical graft polymerization of 3-[N,N-dimethyl-N-(methacryloyloxyethyl)ammonium]propanesulfonate (SPE) from the surface of Kromasil porous silica particles. The polymerization was initiated by thermal cleavage of tert-butylperoxy groups covalently attached to the particle surface, and the material therefore carries a tentacle-type polymeric interaction layer with 3-sulfopropylbetaine functional moieties. The composition of the surface graft was determined by elemental analysis, and the surface charge was measured using photon correlation spectroscopy. The measured zeta-potentials were close to 0 and nearly independent of pH, and the tentacle character of the interactive layers were evident from the lack of colloidal stability in the absence of salt (antipolyelectrolytic behavior) and a marked increase in column back-pressure when the concentration of perchloric acid or perchlorate salt was increased. The chromatographic properties were evaluated on columns packed with the functionalized material, and it was shown that this zwitterionic stationary phase could simultaneously and independently separate inorganic anions and cations using aqueous solutions of perchloric acid or perchlorate salts as eluents. The material was also capable of separating two acidic and three basic proteins in a single run, using gradient salt elution at constant pH.