Diol SPE Cartridge

Balanced Polar Retention with Reduced Silanol Activity

Diol SPE cartridges use glycol-bonded silica as a polar stationary phase that combines hydrogen-bond interaction with moderate hydrophobic retention.

Unlike bare silica, the bonded diol layer partially shields residual silanol groups, reducing strong irreversible adsorption commonly observed with unmodified silica phases.

This balanced interaction profile allows Diol SPE cartridges to operate in both normal-phase and reversed-phase modes while providing milder polar retention and improved compatibility for sensitive analytes.

The neutral glycol surface minimizes excessive secondary interaction, making Diol SPE particularly suitable for biological samples, lipid fractionation and mixed-polarity compound cleanup.

Dual Retention Mechanisms

Normal-Phase Retention

Polar compounds are retained through hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interaction under non-aqueous solvent conditions. This mode is commonly used for lipid separation, isomer fractionation and polar organic compound cleanup.

Reversed-Phase Retention

Moderately hydrophobic compounds are retained through weak van der Waals interaction from the bonded alkyl structure, allowing aqueous sample loading and biofluid pretreatment workflows.

Why Choose Diol Instead of Bare Silica?

Diol SPE is often selected when bare silica causes excessive analyte retention, unstable recovery or poor compatibility with biological and mixed-polarity samples.

Compared with silica SPE cartridges, Diol phases provide milder polar interaction and reduced irreversible adsorption. For stronger polar retention or weak anion-exchange selectivity, NH2 SPE cartridges may also be considered depending on analyte chemistry and solvent system.

Typical Situations Where Diol SPE Performs Better

• Lipid and phospholipid fractionation from oil or biological extracts
• Biofluid cleanup for LC-MS/MS sample preparation
• Isolation of bioactive metabolites and pharmaceutical compounds
• Separation of structural isomers and bile acids
• Cleanup of polar organic contaminants from complex matrices
• Sample preparation requiring milder polar interaction than silica

Sorbent Chemistry & Retention Mechanism

Key Features

• Dual-mode extraction capability– supports both normal-phase and reversed-phase workflows
• Reduced silanol activity– minimizes irreversible adsorption and analyte loss
• Mild polar selectivity– suitable for medium-polarity and sensitive compounds
• Biological sample compatibility– effective for plasma, urine and biofluid cleanup
• Lipid fractionation performance– suitable for triglycerides, phospholipids and related compounds
• LC-MS and GC-MS compatibility– supports modern analytical sample preparation
• Stable batch-to-batch reproducibility– controlled particle size and bonded phase chemistry

Typical Applications

Compatible Analytical Workflows

• LC-MS/MS sample preparation
• GC-MS normal-phase cleanup
• Lipidomics workflows
• Biofluid pretreatment
• Isomer fractionation
• Food contaminant analysis
• Pharmaceutical impurity cleanup

Standard SPE Workflow

1. Condition– activate sorbent with solvent matched to retention mode
2. Equilibrate– adjust cartridge with initial mobile-phase composition
3. Load– introduce prepared sample at controlled flow rate
4. Wash– remove undesired polar or non-polar interferences
5. Elute– recover analytes by increasing solvent polarity or organic strength

Recommended Cartridge Formats

Available Cartridge Configurations

Download PDF Datasheet

B2B & OEM Manufacturing Advantages

• ISO 9001 regulated manufacturing
• Stable batch-to-batch selectivity and recovery performance
• Medical-grade PP cartridge bodies and inert PE frits
• Compatible with automated SPE workstations and vacuum manifolds
• OEM private label and distributor packaging available
• Bulk sorbent supply and custom cartridge filling available
• Full lot traceability and COA documentation

Frequently Asked Questions