Fabrication of a hydrazone-linked covalent organic framework-bound capillary column for gas chromatography separation

Covalent organic frameworks are a new class of crystalline porous materials that have various potential applications. However, utilization of covalent organic frameworks as new stationary phases for gas chromatography separation has been less explored. In this work, a hydrazone-linked chiral covalent organic framework has been covalently bonded onto the inner surface of fused silica capillary. The fabricated hydrazone-linked covalent organic framework-bound capillary column displays a moderate polarity nature and exhibits relatively high resolution performances for separation of linear alkanes and alcohols, as well as aromatic positional isomers including xylene, nitrotoluene, chloronitrobenzene, benzenediol, and naphthol isomers. The present study reveals that the hydrazone-linked covalent organic framework-bound capillary column is quite promising for the gas chromatography separation of aromatic positional isomers.