Temperature effects on separation on zirconia columns: Applications to one- and two-dimensional LC separations of phenolic antioxidants

The effects of temperature and mobile phase on LC chromatographic separation of phenolic antioxidants on zirconia-based columns were investigated. Unlike silica-based materials, zirconia columns show excellent thermal stability over a wide range of temperatures and enable high-temperature separations. Enthalpic and entropic contributions to the retention of phenolic compounds on ZR-Carbon and ZR-Carbon C18 columns were determined from retention versus temperature plots in order to elucidate the retention mechanism of sample compounds over the temperature range up to 140°C. High-temperature liquid chromatography on ZR-Carbon columns was used for comprehensive LCxLC two-dimensional separation systems based on the different selectivity of a Zorbax SB micro-column used in the first dimension and a ZR-Carbon column used in the second dimension. Two-dimensional LCxLC systems employing a setup with two alternately operated parallel ZR-Carbon columns in the second dimension were used for the analysis of phenolic antioxidants in beer and wine samples.