Evaluation and application of a chlorobenzimidazole bonded stationary phase for polyphenols separation in supercritical fluid chromatography.

Polyphenols are widely present in natural products and exhibit significant biological activities. However, their structural similarity and diversity pose challenges to efficient separation. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is a promising separation technique, yet commercial stationary phases lack sufficient selectivity due to limited functional groups. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop multifunctional stationary phases to meet the separation requirements of complex polyphenol samples. This study included the design and synthesis of a new multifunctional bonded silica stationary phase (CMBZ), which incorporates hydroxyl, thioether, benzene ring, imidazole, and chlorine groups. Evaluation was performed using fifty-three structurally diverse polyphenolic standards, and the results demonstrated that CMBZ exhibited a more versatile retention mechanism and superior selectivity compared to commercial SFC columns. This research presents a promising approach for the effective separation of polyphenols. More significantly, it presents innovative pathways for research on novel SFC bonded stationary phases.