Shodex Polymer-Based SEC Columns for Nanoparticles Separation in Water (10–1000 nm)

Record: 716

Category: Column Selection
Product: SB-800 series 
Sample: Nanoparticles

Question
A customer wants to separate nanoparticles from 10 nm to 1000 nm using water as the mobile phase. Which Shodex columns are appropriate for this type of aqueous SEC analysis?

Answer

For nanoparticle analysis in the 10–1000 nm range using 100% water, the appropriate Shodex columns are the polymer-based OHpak SB-HQ series and the UB wide-pore series, both of which are designed for aqueous SEC of large biomolecular assemblies. These columns offer large pore volumes, strong hydrophilicity, and full compatibility with water-based eluents, making them suitable for virus-like particles (VLPs), exosomes, liposomes, protein complexes, and synthetic nanoparticles.

The OHpak SB-HQ series (such as SB-805 HQ and SB-806 HQ) is ideal for particles in the low- to mid-nanometer range, providing stable hydrodynamic separation without silica dissolution or pH restrictions. For nanoparticles approaching the upper size limit of the range, the UB-series (UB-50 and UB-100) provides ultra-wide pore structures capable of accommodating very large assemblies under fully aqueous conditions.

These polymer columns will not resolve nanoparticles with analytical precision but will provide consistent size-distribution profiling, aggregation assessment, and hydrodynamic-volume characterization. Water-only eluents are fully supported, though the appropriate pore size must be selected based on the customer’s true particle size and distribution. Additional information from the customer may be needed to determine the ideal column.

Recommended Applications:

• SEC-MALS Analysis of Norovirus VLP (SB-805 HQ)
• SEC-MALS Analysis of Exosomes (SB-806 HQ)
• SEC-MALS Analysis of Norovirus VLP (UB-50)
• SEC-MALS Analysis of Exosomes (UB-100)

These applications demonstrate nanoparticle-level separations using Shodex polymer-based SEC columns under fully aqueous conditions, directly supporting 10–1000 nm workflows.

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