CORTECS Columns

The CORTECS Columns family redefines efficiency in liquid chromatography with its solid-core technology, designed to meet the demands of challenging separations with unparalleled speed and resolution. Available in both reversed-phase and HILIC formats, CORTECS columns offer seven distinct column chemistries, each featuring innovative charged surface modifications. This design enables 20% faster separations and 25% greater resolution at significantly lower operating back pressures compared to traditional fully porous particle columns.

Crafted using advanced column packing techniques and bonding and end-capping processes, CORTECS Columns ensure maximum performance and durability. They outpace fully porous particle columns in throughput and speed, making them an ideal choice for labs looking to enhance their LC separations efficiency.

With the CORTECS range, method development becomes more flexible and streamlined, allowing for rapid separation of a wide array of compounds across different particle sizes and column configurations. This versatility is further enhanced by the optional VanGuard Cartridges and pre-columns, which are specially designed to prolong column lifetimes and maintain consistent performance.

CORTECS Columns are recommended for any LC separation task, promising not only to maximize resolution and speed but also to deliver consistent batch-to-batch performance year after year. They simplify method transfer across HPLC, UHPLC, and UPLC platforms, offering seamless scalability and reliability. For laboratories looking to push the boundaries of what's possible in liquid chromatography, CORTECS Columns provide a solid foundation for achieving greater efficiency, throughput, and resolution in all LC analyses.

What types of particles are used in CORTECS columns?
CORTECS columns utilize solid-core (also known as superficially porous) particle technology to deliver high-efficiency separations. These particles consist of a solid silica or hybrid core surrounded by a porous outer layer, combining the speed and resolution benefits of sub-2-µm particles with lower backpressure compared to fully porous materials.

The CORTECS family includes both silica-based and bridged ethyl hybrid (BEH) solid-core particles, each designed to offer enhanced mechanical strength and stability under varying pH and temperature conditions. This particle architecture reduces band broadening, improves mass transfer, and enables sharper peaks and faster run times, making CORTECS columns ideal for high-throughput and complex analytical workflows.

Which chromatographic modes are supported by CORTECS columns?
CORTECS columns are available in a range of bonded chemistries that support multiple chromatographic modes, primarily within reversed-phase liquid chromatography. These include C18, C18+, Shield RP18, T3, and HILIC options, offering flexibility for separating a wide variety of compounds from highly hydrophobic to polar analytes.

The Shield RP18 provides enhanced selectivity for basic compounds, while the T3 phase allows for better retention of polar analytes. Additionally, CORTECS HILIC columns support hydrophilic interaction chromatography, suitable for polar and ionic compounds. With these chemistries, CORTECS columns can address diverse application needs in pharmaceutical, environmental, food, and bioanalytical testing.

Can CORTECS columns be used for peptide or protein separations?
While CORTECS columns are primarily designed for small molecule separations, they can be suitable for short peptides and small protein fragments under certain conditions. The solid-core particle design offers high efficiency and sharp peak shapes, which can be advantageous when analyzing relatively small, hydrophilic biomolecules.

However, for intact protein separations or complex peptide mapping workflows, Waters recommends columns specifically designed for biomolecules, such as the ACQUITY UPLC Protein BEH or Peptide BEH columns. That said, CORTECS T3 and Shield RP18 chemistries may be used in bioanalytical workflows where small peptides or peptide-like drug candidates are the focus, especially when high throughput and LC-MS compatibility are needed.