Evaluation of a Silicon Oxynitride Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography Column in Saccharide and Glycoside Separations

The retention characteristics of a silicon oxynitride stationary phase for carbohydrate separation were studied in hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode. Four saccharides including mono-, di-, and trisaccharides were employed to investigate the effects of water content and buffer concentration in the mobile phase on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography retention. For the tested saccharides, the silicon oxynitride column demonstrated excellent performance in terms of separation efficiency, hydrophilicity, and interesting separation selectivity for carbohydrates compared to the bare silica stationary phase. Finally, the silicon oxynitride hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column was employed in the separation of complex samples of fructooligosaccharides, saponins, and steviol glycoside from natural products. The resulting chromatograms demonstrated good separation efficiency and longer retention compared with silica, which further confirmed the advantages and potential application of silicon oxynitride stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography separation.