DB-35ms Ultra Inert

DB-35ms Ultra Inert

DB-35ms Ultra Inert (UI) GC Columns

Agilent J&W DB-35ms Ultra Inert columns combine mid-polarity selectivity with Agilent’s highest level of inertness, delivering exceptional performance for applications where enhanced resolution, complementary selectivity, and trace-level sensitivity are essential. Built on a 35% phenyl – 65% dimethylpolysiloxane stationary phase, this column provides a unique separation profile compared to traditional non-polar phases, enabling improved discrimination of structurally similar or co-eluting compounds.

The Ultra Inert deactivation process ensures minimal interaction between analytes and the column surface, making DB-35ms UI particularly effective for pesticides, semi-volatiles, drugs of abuse, metabolites, and other analytes that are prone to adsorption or peak distortion. This improved inertness enables sharper peaks, better analyte recovery, and reliable quantitation even at low-pg or sub-ng levels.

DB-35ms Ultra Inert also offers broader linearity and optimized separation efficiency, helping laboratories detect components at lower concentrations while reducing re-analysis and improving overall productivity. Its bonded, cross-linked construction supports high-temperature operation and solvent rinsing, providing long-term durability in demanding GC/MS workflows.

Whether used for primary analysis or as a confirmation column in multi-column GC/MS methods, DB-35ms Ultra Inert offers the complementary selectivity, ultra-low bleed, and high-sensitivity performance required for environmental testing, forensic toxicology, food safety, pharmaceutical analysis, and other high-precision applications.

Key Definitions â–¸
Ultra Inert (UI) Deactivation
Agilent’s most advanced deactivation process engineered to eliminate active sites inside the GC column. UI treatment improves peak shape, enhances analyte recovery, and minimizes adsorption—especially important for acidic, basic, or reactive compounds.
Mid-Polarity Stationary Phase
A GC stationary phase with intermediate polarity—such as the 35% phenyl / 65% dimethylpolysiloxane composition of DB-35ms UI—which enables complementary selectivity for complex mixtures and closely eluting analytes.
Broad Linearity
The ability of the column to deliver accurate quantitation across a wide concentration range. DB-35ms UI provides broad linearity, enabling reliable measurement of both trace-level and higher-level analytes in a single method.
Complementary Selectivity
A separation profile distinct from non-polar columns (e.g., 5-phase). DB-35ms UI offers different retention behavior, making it ideal for confirmation analysis, structural elucidation, and resolving co-eluting compounds.
Solvent Rinsable
Indicates that the bonded and cross-linked stationary phase can be rinsed with appropriate solvents to remove non-volatile matrix components. This helps restore performance and extend column lifetime in demanding GC/MS workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions â–¸
What advantages does the Ultra Inert version of DB-35ms provide?
DB-35ms Ultra Inert columns undergo Agilent’s highest-level deactivation process, reducing active surface sites and minimizing adsorption of acidic, basic, or reactive analytes. This results in improved peak shape, higher analyte recovery, and better sensitivity in GC/MS applications.
How does DB-35ms Ultra Inert differ from non-UI DB-35ms columns?
Both versions share the same 35% phenyl chemistry and mid-polarity selectivity, but the Ultra Inert version offers dramatically lower activity and lower bleed. This leads to cleaner baselines, improved mass spectral integrity, and better quantitation at trace levels.
What applications benefit most from DB-35ms Ultra Inert columns?
DB-35ms UI is ideal for pesticide analysis, drugs of abuse testing, environmental semivolatiles, pharmaceutical impurities, forensic toxicology, and confirmation workflows requiring complementary selectivity to traditional 5-phase columns.
Is DB-35ms UI suitable for high-temperature GC/MS?
Yes. DB-35ms UI supports extended operation up to 340 °C isothermal and 360 °C programmed. Its bonded and cross-linked phase maintains stability and performance during demanding high-temperature cycles.
Can DB-35ms Ultra Inert columns be used as confirmation columns?
Absolutely. DB-35ms UI provides complementary selectivity to non-polar 5-phase columns, making it a highly effective confirmation column for multi-column GC/MS methods such as EPA semivolatiles, pesticide confirmation, and forensic workflows.