- Jan Grafnetter: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, 128 40 Prague, Czech Republic.
Poly(butyl methacrylate) monolithic columns were prepared by thermally initiated radical polymerization in fused-silica capillaries of 320 microm i.d. The prepared monolithic columns were tested by capillary liquid chromatography (CLC) combined with a UV-VIS spectrophotometric detector. The influence of the detection configuration (i.e., on-column and external-cell detection modes) on the performance of the chromatographic system was investigated. In the on-column detection mode within the monolith, the detection window was located inside the column section filled with the monolith. With the on-column detection configuration after the monolith, the detection window was positioned just behind the column section containing the monolith. Using the external-cell detection mode, an additional detection capillary, provided with a detection window defining the external-cell, was connected to the monolithic capillary column. These detection modes were critically compared in terms of the principal chromatographic parameters of the system involving the prepared monolithic capillary columns.