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Revolutionary Chromatographic and Bioconversion Supports

With the invention of the monolith chromatography supports a new era of chromatographic separation has begun. Principle of monolithic stationary phases has been since succesfully implemented in CIM® Monolithic Supports. Due to large inner channels diameter and convective mass transfer, CIM® supports offer excellent separation power, exceptional chemical stability and flow characteristics even for large biomolecules.

Definition of Chromatographic Monoliths - the 4th Generation of Stationary Phases:

Monoliths are continuous stationary phases that are cast as a homogeneous column in a single piece and prepared in various dimensions with agglomeration-type or fibrous microstructures. (Iberer, G., Hahn, R., Jungbauer, A. LC-GC, 1999, 17, 998)

CIM® Monolithic Supports are based on:
  • A highly cross-linked porous monolithic polymer,
    • poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) or
    • poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) polymers
  • With well-defined, bimodal channel-size distribution.
          

Channels Enable Convective Transport - No Diffusion, No Void Volume!

Since CIM® is essentially made from one piece material with channels through it, there is no diffusion mass transfer as a main separation driving force. Instead, convective mass transfer takes place. This kind of transport is a few orders of magnitude faster than diffusive transport.
CIM® channels enable excellent separation power and flow characteristics - due to their big size (1200-1500nm) CIM® performs exceptionally well with large molecules, such as large proteins, immunoglobulins, plasmid DNA and viruses. Components to be separated are conveyed to the active groups located on the surface of the channels by bulk flow of the mobile phase.
Since there is no diffusion, no dead-end pores, no void volume and therefore no stagnant zones, transport between mobile and stationary phase is very fast. Consequently, the column characteristics are non flow dependent.

Same Technology, Different Geometry!

Convective Interaction Media® Technology is currently applied CIM® Monolithic Columns and CIM® Monolithic Tubes. They use different flow direction principles: axial flow direction (CIM® Disk Monolithic Columns and radial flow direction (CIM® Tube Monolithic Columns).

Two different Flow Principles:

CIM Convective Interaction Media® Disk Monolithic Columns are mainly intended for very fast analyzes, in-process control, and laboratory purification and perform exceptionally well with large biomolecules, such as immunoglobulins, plasmid DNA and viruses.

They exhibit low backpressure, even at very high flow rates. In this way, the purification time can be significantly decreased, resulting in a pronounced reduction of the purification process costs.
CIM® Tube Monolithic Columns (ready-to use) are based on the same technology as CIM® Disks but have a different geometry. The design of the housing forces the liquid to flow in a radial direction. Since the characteristics of the monolith are flow independent, the resolution on a radial monolithic column is equal to that of axial monolithic column despite a significant upgrade in linear velocity through the monolithic bed due to a cylinder thickness.

CIM® Supports are Characterized By:

  • Excellent separation power
  • Exceptional chemical stability
  • Same  performance accross all scales and flow rates