What is Luna® Omega?
Luna® is one of the most recognized HPLC brands on the market, delivering high efficiency, ruggedness, reproducibility and dependability for wide range of analyses. The new Luna Omega 1.6 µm builds upon this legacy with an innovative yet rugged UHPLC silica particle architecture, designed and manufactured by Phenomenex based on more than 20 years of applied knowledge, invention, and customer experience.
When manufacturing Luna Omega 1.6 µm silica, we implement a proprietary processing technique to gain greater particle inertness, a stronger particle morphology, and more consistent porosity. Most importantly, through our proprietary process, we eliminate micropores, further improving column efficiency, inertness, and reproducibility.
Not yet convinced? Check out the following reasons why you should get your hands on Luna Omega!
Reason #1: Extremely High Efficiency
Using chromatographic media with an extremely high efficiency can help to ensure maximum resolution between closely-eluting peaks. Due to our proprietary thermal treatment process and optimized packing protocols, Luna Omega 1.6 µm media provides unmatched efficiency and resolving power for our most challenging separations. While other sub-2 µm particles may claim high performance, when compared to Luna Omega, they fall short and prevent UHPLC scientists from reaching their goals.
Reason #2: Improved Retention for Polar Analytes
Highly polar molecules, like these catecholamines, often display very poor retention under reversed phase conditions. Our Luna Omega Polar C18 is a novel UHPLC stationary phase capable of providing a unique selectivity within a wide elution window and increased retention for both polar and non-polar analytes.
This unique polar-modified C18 chemistry provides hydrophobic interactions while a polar modified particle surface provides enhanced polar retention and also aqueous stability. These attributes make the Luna Omega Polar C18 an excellent choice for balanced retention of polar and hydrophobic compounds as well as to solely enhance retention of highly polar compounds.
Reason #3: Enhanced Selectivity for Polar Acids
Developing robust methods for the analysis of small, polar, acidic compounds can be very difficult due to the simple fact that many do not retain well using typical reversed phase columns and with standard low pH mobile phases. To address this gap, we have recently created a new and novel C18 phase which contains a proprietary positively charged functional group (weakly basic in character) – our Luna Omega PS C18 phase (available in 1.6 µm, 3 µm, and 5 µm particle sizes).
The presence of the positively charged functional group, combined with the standard C18 bonding, results in a true mixed-mode interaction that can provide a unique selectivity and enhanced retention for many polar acidic species.
In addition, the surface modification also allows the PS C18 column to be used in 100 % aqueous conditions so that analysts can maximize polar acid retention by beginning their gradients in pure buffer.
Reason #4: Better Peak Shape for Strong Bases
Residual silanols can interact via ion-exchange mechanisms with the charged basic functional groups on analyte molecules, leading to peak tailing and, in some cases, adsorption that can confound accurate quantitation. To overcome this challenge, we have designed the Luna Omega 1.6 µm PS C18 phase which contains a proprietary positively charged functional group on the surface, in addition to the standard C18 bonding and trimethylsilane (TMS) end-capping.
The presence of this positive charge on the surface results in a dramatic improvement in peak shape (less tailing and less band broadening) for basic analytes, even when using weak buffer systems such as 0.1 % formic acid.
The improvement in performance for strong bases when using Luna Omega 1.6 µm PS C18 is especially apparent when you need to inject relatively large amounts of an API in order to quantify low-level impurities, such as the impurity profile of the basic antihistamine, diphenhydramine (pKa ~8.98), shown in the figures below.
Reason #5: Unique Selectivity for Peptide Analysis
Luna® Omega is the ideal choice for the analysis of small peptide and tryptic mapping. The high surface area and dense C18 bonding provide Luna Omega with excellent retention for small, more polar peptides and fragments. The thermally modified silica (using a proprietary technology) gives Luna Omega an efficiency advantage over similarly-sized fully porous silica products, which can translate into narrower peaks, improved sensitivity, and improved resolution in many cases. This thermal treatment process also renders the silica highly inert for minimal secondary interactions, even when using LC-MS mobile phase modifiers such as 0.1% formic acid.
The unique Luna Omega PS C18 chemistry contains a proprietary, positively-charged functional group on the surface that makes the surface even less likely to exhibit peak tailing when analyzing basic peptides, and can also provide a selectivity quite distinct from a standard C18 phase, which may be useful for separating a target peptide from a matrix interference that co-elutes on a traditional C18.
Reason #6: Overall Value
The combination of superior performance at a better price with responsive technical support creates unmatched overall value.
Don’t forget column protection!
No matter which type of column you’re using, SecurityGuard™ offers the column protection you need. It will provide increased column lifetime, higher column performance, more reproducible chromatography, and fewer wasted columns.
When contaminates and particulates build up at the head of the column or on the guard cartridges, system pressures dramatically increase.
By simply replacing the SecurityGuard ULTRA or SecurityGuard Standard cartridge instead of your column, you are able to regain normal operating conditions and reclaim original column performance.
For more information on Luna reach out to our nearly 24/7 Technical Support experts and make sure to download the full
