Materials and devices for spatial multi-dimensional liquid chromatography

In this thesis, the potential of spatial multi-dimensional liquid chromatography is explained, culminating in the “Separation Technologies for A Million Peaks” (STAMP) project. Different kinds of stationary phases were developed and taken into consideration, with the simplicity of the in-situ creation of monoliths being highlighted. Their applications in a hydrophilic-interaction-liquid-chromatography – high-resolution-mass-spectrometry method for the separation of intact proteins and, specifically, intact glycoforms are described in two chapters of this work. Glass, PEEK and titanium were explored as materials for 3D-printing column housings and microfluidic devices, with titanium providing the most successful applications. Titanium devices, with different designs, were successfully used to confine the thermal polymerization of monolithic stationary phases. The most successful design was then implemented in complex microfluidic titanium devices in order to perform spatial multi-dimensional liquid chromatography.