The present disclosure relates to thermo-responsive hydrogel composite (TRHC) desiccants having high adsorption capacities, fast adsorption/desorption rates, and low regeneration temperatures (T.sub.reg) compared to traditional desiccants. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, TRHC desiccants may be synthesized by freeze drying. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the porous structures resulting from freeze drying copolymers of thermo-responsive polymers and/or hygroscopic agents may be combined with hygroscopic inorganic salts, resulting in TRHC desiccants having superior performance properties.

The present disclosure discusses a method of separating a sample (e.g., peptide compound) including coating a flow path of a chromatographic system; injecting the sample into the chromatographic system; flowing the sample through the chromatographic system; separating the sample; and analyzing the separated sample. In some examples, the coating applied to the surfaces defining the flow path is non-binding with respect to the sample—and the separated sample. Consequently, the sample does not bind to the low-binding surface of the coating (e.g., organosilica coating) of the flow path. The applied coating can reduce peak tailing and increase analyte recovery for the sample of the chromatographic system.

In an aspect, a method for forming a microcolumn comprises steps of: (a) providing a sacrificial fiber; (b) forming a microcolumn body around said sacrificial fiber; and (c) removing said sacrificial fiber from said microcolumn body such that a hollow channel is formed within said microcolumn body via removal of said sacrificial fiber. In any embodiment of the methods disclosed herein for forming a microcolumn, said hollow channel extends through said microcolumn body and is continuous between a first end and a second end. The first end may be an inlet and the second end may be an outlet, for example, allowing for a mobile phase to enter the hollow channel via the first end and exit via the second end.

A dual ligand sol-gel sorbent and method of manufacture is provided herein. The dual ligand sol-gel sorbent provides superior enrichment effects through simultaneous exploitation of superhydrophobicity of one of the ligands and the ability of the other ligand to undergo - interaction with hydrophobic aromatic analytes. Sorbent performance is enhanced both in terms of analyte enrichment and sorbent stability, such as pH stability and solvent stability.

A crescent PLOT column is disclosed, including a capillary column having an inlet, an outlet, a bore, and an inner surface surrounding the bore and extending between the inlet and the outlet. A layer of particles is localized on a radial portion of the inner surface. The layer of the particles includes a radial thickness decreasing from a center of the radial portion to a periphery of the radial portion, forming a crescent shape in a radial frame of reference. A method for preparing the crescent PLOT column is disclosed, including loading the capillary column with a fluid including a carrier and particles such that the fluid is contained within the capillary column. The capillary column and the fluid contained within the capillary column are subjected to a centrifugal force. The carrier is removed, and a layer of the particles is localized on the radial portion of the inner surface.

A porous chiral material of formula [M(L).sub.1.5(A)].sup.+X.sup. wherein M is a metal ion; L is a nitrogen-containing bidentate ligand; A is the anion of mandelic acid or a related acid; and X.sup. is an anion.

The present invention provides a detector and method for detecting substances in complex mixtures. The detector includes a microfabricated preconcentrator, a separation column with an on-chip thermal conductivity detector, a controller for controlling flow and thermal management and a user interface. The thermal conductivity detector includes a first resistor located at an inlet of the separation column and a second resistor located at an outlet of the separation column.

A curtain airbag device mounting structure includes: a first pillar forming a part of a front pillar and extends substantially along a vehicle height direction; a second pillar forming another part of the front pillar, the second pillar being disposed on a rear side of a vehicle relative to the first pillar at a predetermined distance from the first pillar and extending substantially along the vehicle height direction; a transparent member bridged between the first pillar and the second pillar; and a curtain airbag device including a curtain airbag stored along a roof side rail and the second pillar, the curtain airbag being configured to inflate and deploy in a curtain-like fashion over a side portion of a cabin of the vehicle in case of a collision of the vehicle.

Yttria containing hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gels may be used in coatings for capillary microextraction, optionally hyphenated to online HPLC analysis. The sol-gel reaction mixture can use an yttrium trialkoxyalkoxide, such as yttrium trimethoxyethoxide, and a [bis(hydroxyalkyl)-amino-alkyl]-terminated polydialkyl/arylsiloxane, such as [bis(hydroxyethyl)-amine] (BHEA)-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, that can undergo hydrolysis and polycondensation, to form coating materials. Capillaries coated with such sol-gels can have improved extraction efficiency compared, e.g., to pure yttria-based coatings. The CME-HPLC can analyze water samples containing analytes of varied polarity, with excellent extraction of amides, phenols, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons and detection limits ranging from 0.18 to 7.35 ng/mL (S/N=3). Such capillaries can exhibit solvent stability at pH 0 to 14, RSD % between 0.6 to 6.8% (n=3), at a preparative reproducibility RSD between 4.1 and 9.9%.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a monolithic stationary phase in the interior volume of a chromatography column made of thermoplastic polymer. This method comprises the following steps: (i) modifying the inner wall of the chromatography column by implementing the following steps: (a) preparing a polymerizable anchoring composition comprising at least one particular methacrylate monomer, one or more solvents and 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, (b) depositing, on the inner wall of the column, the polymerizable anchoring composition prepared in step (a), and (c) polymerizing the polymerizable anchoring composition by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation; (ii) introducing, into the interior volume of the column, a polymerizable monolith synthesis composition comprising first and second particular (meth)acrylate monomers, one or more pore-forming agents and a free-radical polymerization initiator; and (iii) polymerizing the polymerizable monolith synthesis composition. The invention also relates to a method for producing a chromatography column comprising such a monolithic stationary phase and to a chromatographic separation method using such a column.