HILIC on silica

[serexia2]

Hi
I am pretty new to HILIC techniques and I was trying to figure out if I can device some useful method for my compounds (anionic sugars and glycoconjugates mostly).

From googling around I have found that amide and silica columns could be suitable for my purposes. I was wandering if there is any difference between HILIC silica columns and regular bare silica columns in terms of packing material. I have found in my lab a brand new Alltech absorbosphere XL Silica, and before buying any new column I was wandering if I can just convert this in my HILIC column or it will bleed to death in my mobile phase...

Any help will be appreciated...
Thanks
Serena

[Vlad Orlovsky]

You can use is as initial screening tool. Run a wide gradient first using ACN/water/Ammonium acetate pH 4.5-5 for example. keep buffer constant and go from 855 ACN to 405 ACN in 10 minutes with 5 minutes hold. If retention is too long or too short change initial and end point of gradient.

[HPLCaddict]

Just make sure to use a suitable transition solvent first, as your "normal-phase silica" will be shipped in hexane, heptane or some other water-insoluble solvent, whereas a "HILIC-silica" is already "water-compatible".

[serexia2]

Thank you. I was thinking of just flushing extensively with Acetone (it's in Hexane/Ethanol 95/5), then AcCN and then introduce water or buffer gradually. Do you think it's OK?

[Vlad Orlovsky]

we usually use IPA to go from NP to HILIC.

[Jack Silver]

Ethanol, acetone, and 2-propanol are all good solvents, in my experience, to switch between non-polar and HILIC normal phase modes.