Core–shell particles: Preparation, fundamentals and applications in high performance liquid chromatography

The challenges in HPLC are fast and efficient separation for a wide range of samples. Fast separation often results in very high operating pressure, which places a huge burden on HPLC instrumentation. In recent years, core-shell silica microspheres (with a solid core and a porous shell, also known as fused-core or superficially porous microspheres) have been widely investigated and used for highly efficient and fast separation with reasonably low pressure for separation of small molecules, large molecules and complex samples. In this review, we firstly show the types of core-shell particles and how they are generally prepared, focusing on the methods used to produce core-shell silica particles for chromatographic applications. The fundamentals are discussed on why core-shell particles can perform better with low back pressure, in terms of van Deemter equation and kinetic plots. The core-shell particles are compared with totally porous silica particles and also monolithic columns. The use of columns packed with core-shell particles in different types of liquid chromatography is then discussed, followed by illustrating example applications of such columns for separation of various types of samples. The review is completed with conclusion and a brief perspective on future development of core-shell particles in chromatography.