In-Column Click Chemistry for the Preparation of Chromatographic Stationary Phase Materials and Online Evaluation of the Reaction by Chromatographic Behaviors

Traditional chromatographic stationary phases are usually prepared in a round-bottom flask, which has some shortcomings such as complicated operation, poor flexibility, and environmental pollution, and the extent of reaction in time cannot be tracked. Here, we adhered to the concept of green chemistry and innovatively designed a flow-through modification program using a chromatographic column as a microreactor. Allyltrimethoxysilane-functionalized silica (Sil-ATS) and (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane-functionalized silica (Sil-MPS) materials were prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. In-column "click chemistry" reaction was then used to modify functional groups on Sil-ATS and Sil-MPS stationary phases to prepare the chromatographic columns. The relationship between the reaction extent and time was researched in time by the resolution of toluene and pentylbenzene. The optimum reactive time was then chosen to prepare different chromatographic columns. Chromatographic behaviors of various compounds were directly compared on the prepared columns before and after the in-column "click chemistry" reaction. The results indicated that the mini chromatographic column was first used to perform the "click chemistry" reaction and enlarged the synthetic reaction device. In addition, the chromatographic method was first used to evaluate the synthetic reactions and micron-sized stationary phase materials online and in time.