A novel high-performance gas chromatographic stationary phase based on C10 alkyl-modified cyclotriveratrilene exploiting nanoscale separation channels

Cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) possesses a rigid and bowl-shaped architecture with a π -electron-rich cavity. In this work, CTV modified with C10 alkyl chains (CTV-C10) has been synthesized and used for the first time as a stationary phase for gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The statically coated CTV-C10 column showed moderate polarity and high column efficiency (3446 plates m −1 , determined by n -dodecane at 120 °C). Due to its nanoscale channels, the CTV-C10 column displayed a strong affinity for aromatic compounds. Compared with CTV and commercial HP-5 and HP-35 columns, the CTV-C10 column exhibited better performance for the critical resolution of dibromobenzene, dichlorobenzene, and chloronitrobenzene isomers. Moreover, CTV-C10 columns showed 0.02%, 0.09%, and 4.96% repeatability RSD values for intra-day, inter-day, and between-columns, respectively. This study demonstrated the feasibility of CTV-C10 columns, providing a new perspective for developing selective nanoscale separation channels through CTV stationary phases in chromatographic analysis. Graphical abstract