Separation Methods Technologies Incorporated (SMT, Inc.) is a surface chemistry research corporation with a goal of providing chromatographers with the highest quality polymeric, monomeric, and specialty columns for various separation chemistries including pharmaceutical and environmental applications. Reversed-phase chromatographic separations are hampered by the inability to synthesize bonded phases of high coverage. The results are bonded phases with residual silanols that cause "tailing," which hampers separation of solutes, especially those that have acidic or basic characteristics. Short column life time and phase leaching are also common problems with low-density columns. SMT utilizes a number of proprietary bonding schemes that result in bonded phase coverages that approach 100%. These novel bonding schemes utilize one-step derivatization techniques that do not require"endcapping," a procedure that is common in conventional bonding schemes. The most recent studies of bonded phases showed that endcapping is not only ineffective in protecting silica surfaces from hydrolysis, itis also uneconomical. SMT utilizes cost effective schemes that create controllable density of functional outer structures with high density and highly cross-linked polysiloxane underlayer. The results arebonded surfaces that are well protected and that show unprecedented resistance to both acid and base hydrolysis.
