Applications of polymethacrylate-based monoliths in high-performance liquid chromatography

Monolithic columns were introduced in the early 1990s and have become increasingly popular as efficient stationary phases for most of the important chromatographic separation modes. Monoliths are functionally distinct from porous particle-based media in their reliance on convective mass transport. This makes resolution and capacity independent of flow rate. Monoliths also lack a void volume. This eliminates eddy dispersion and permits high-resolution separations with extremely short flow paths. The analytical value of these features is the subject of recent reviews. Nowadays, among other types of rigid macroporous monoliths, the polymethacrylate-based materials are the largest and most examined class of these sorbents. In this review, the applications of polymethacrylate-based monolithic columns are summarized for the separation, purification and analysis of low and high molecular mass compounds in the different HPLC formats, including micro- and large-scale HPLC modes.