The contractor intends to develop, in a phase I SBIR contract, bonded silica phases which can be ulitilized in making micro columns suitable for high temperature HPLC separations. The methodology will be explored to provide operating temperature ranges from room temperature to approximately 150 degrees Centigrade. The intent is to facilitate speed of separation, increased column efficiency, increase in the the range of molecular weight of analytes to be separated, and a decrease in the use of solvents required. The system(s) developed will be used initially to separate tetrahydrocannabinol and its metabolites. The system(s) should have applicability in drug screening programs for analysis of biological fluids.
