DB-200

Standard Polysiloxane GC Columns

Agilent J&W DB-200 is a mid-polarity GC column engineered with a unique (35% trifluoropropyl)-methylpolysiloxane stationary phase. This specialized chemistry provides stronger dipole–dipole, hydrogen-bonding, and electron-withdrawing interactions compared to conventional phenyl-based phases, making DB-200 exceptionally effective for challenging separations.

DB-200 is particularly well suited for resolving difficult positional isomers and compounds containing nitro, halogen, carbonyl, and other strongly polar functional groups. Its enhanced selectivity provides improved peak spacing and superior resolution for analytes that tend to coelute on standard polysiloxane columns, making it valuable for environmental, pharmaceutical, forensic, and specialty-chemical applications.

Bonded, crosslinked, and solvent-rinsable, DB-200 offers excellent thermal stability, low bleed, and reproducible retention characteristics across a wide temperature range. These design features ensure consistent performance even under demanding temperature programs, supporting both routine GC analysis and advanced method development where enhanced polarity and differentiated selectivity are required.

Key Definitions â–¸
(35% Trifluoropropyl)-Methylpolysiloxane Phase
A specialized mid-polarity stationary phase that incorporates 35% trifluoropropyl groups to enhance dipole interactions, electron-withdrawing effects, and polarity-based selectivity. This chemistry improves resolution for halogenated, nitro-containing, and carbonyl-bearing compounds.
Positional Isomers
Molecules that share the same molecular formula and functional groups but differ in the position of those groups on the carbon chain or ring. DB-200’s enhanced polarity helps resolve these challenging isomeric species more effectively than standard nonpolar phases.
Electron-Withdrawing Functional Groups
Substituents such as nitro, halogen, and carbonyl groups that pull electron density toward themselves. DB-200’s fluorinated stationary phase interacts strongly with these groups, increasing selectivity and improving chromatographic resolution.
Bonded and Crosslinked Construction
A durable stationary-phase design where the polymer is chemically bonded to the column wall and structurally reinforced through crosslinking. This improves thermal stability, reduces bleed, and enables solvent rinsing without damaging the stationary phase.
Frequently Asked Questions â–¸
What applications are DB-200 columns best suited for?
DB-200 is ideal for separating positional isomers and analytes containing nitro, halogen, or carbonyl groups. It is widely used in environmental analysis, specialty chemical testing, forensic workflows, and applications requiring enhanced selectivity for highly polar or electron-withdrawing functional groups.
Why does DB-200 work well for positional isomers?
The trifluoropropyl functional groups introduce strong polarity and unique fluorine-related interactions, enabling DB-200 to distinguish compounds that differ only in the location of their substituents—something nonpolar columns often cannot accomplish reliably.
Is DB-200 suitable for GC/MS workflows?
Yes. DB-200 is bonded and crosslinked, offering low bleed and strong thermal stability. These characteristics support clean baselines and high-quality mass spectral data, making the column suitable for GC/MS analysis of polar and difficult-to-separate analytes.
How does the 35% trifluoropropyl phase improve selectivity?
The fluorinated groups increase dipole interactions and electron-withdrawing effects, leading to enhanced retention of polar compounds. This results in improved separation of halogenated organics, nitro compounds, carbonyl-containing molecules, and other analytes that often coelute on conventional phenyl-based phases.
What advantages does bonded and crosslinked construction provide?
Bonding and crosslinking increase the column’s thermal durability, reduce stationary-phase bleed, and allow solvent rinsing during maintenance. This ensures long column life, consistent retention behavior, and stable peak shapes across demanding GC applications.