Acclaim

Thermo Scientificâ„¢ Acclaim (U)HPLC Columns

Thermo Scientificâ„¢ Acclaimâ„¢ (U)HPLC columns are engineered for complex separations that demand enhanced selectivity, higher resolving power, and robust quantitative performance. Built on high surface area, fully porous silica platforms, the Acclaim family delivers exceptional reproducibility and method reliability across analytical UHPLC and HPLC systems.

Designed to solve difficult analytical challenges, Acclaim columns provide a broad portfolio of rare and specialty chemistries—from traditional C18 and C8 phases to mixed-mode, HILIC, ion-exchange, and application-specific formats. This diversity enables optimized retention mechanisms for hydrophobic, polar, ionic, and structurally similar analytes.

Acclaim columns are widely used for LC-MS workflows, pharmaceutical analysis, environmental testing, food safety, biomolecule separations, and specialty regulatory methods. Whether modernizing a legacy HPLC method or developing a new UHPLC workflow, Acclaim columns offer scalable particle sizes and dimensions for seamless method transfer and long-term reproducibility.

Performance Advantages

  • High surface area silica for increased retention and improved resolution of complex mixtures
  • Expanded selectivity portfolio including Polar Advantage, Phenyl-1, C30, mixed-mode, Trinity, HILIC-10, and specialty phases
  • Fully porous particle technology optimized for analytical UHPLC and HPLC platforms
  • LC-MS compatible options for high-sensitivity detection workflows
  • Scalable column dimensions for method development and transfer flexibility

Available Chemistries

The Acclaim portfolio includes reversed-phase, polar-embedded, aromatic, HILIC, mixed-mode, ion-exchange, and specialty application phases:

  • Reversed-Phase: 120 C18, 120 C8, 300 C18, C30
  • Polar-Embedded: Polar Advantage (PA), Polar Advantage II (PA2)
  • Aromatic Selectivity: Phenyl-1
  • HILIC: HILIC-10, Mixed-Mode HILIC-1
  • Mixed-Mode / Ion Exchange: Trinity P1, Trinity P2, Mixed-Mode WAX-1, Mixed-Mode WCX-1
  • Specialty Phases: Organic Acid, Surfactant Plus, Explosives E2, Carbamate, Carbonyl C18, AmG C18, Trinity Q1, SEC formats

Applications

  • Pharmaceutical method development and validation
  • Complex impurity profiling
  • Environmental contaminant analysis
  • Food and beverage testing
  • Biomolecule and peptide separations
  • Regulatory and EPA method workflows

Chrom Tech is an authorized distributor of Thermo Scientificâ„¢ chromatography products and stocks a wide selection of Acclaim (U)HPLC columns for fast shipment and technical support.

Key Definitions â–¶
Acclaimâ„¢ (U)HPLC columns
A family of Thermo Scientific fully porous silica-based LC columns designed to deliver reproducible separations across UHPLC and HPLC systems using a wide range of stationary-phase chemistries.
Stationary phase
The bonded chemical chemistry on the column packing (e.g., C18, C8, Phenyl, HILIC, ion-exchange) that controls analyte retention and selectivity during separation.
Fully porous particles
Silica particles with pore networks throughout the entire particle volume, providing high surface area for retention and broad method versatility in analytical LC.
Particle size (µm)
The average diameter of the column packing particles. Smaller particles generally increase efficiency and resolution but also increase backpressure; larger particles reduce pressure and may be preferred for conventional HPLC.
Column ID (internal diameter)
The inner diameter of the column (e.g., 2.1 mm, 3.0 mm, 4.6 mm). Smaller IDs reduce solvent consumption and improve LC-MS sensitivity; larger IDs can increase loadability for UV methods.
Column length
The packed bed length (mm). Longer columns generally increase resolution, while shorter columns support faster run times and higher throughput.
Selectivity
How a stationary phase differentiates between analytes, influencing relative retention and peak separation. Changing phase chemistry is often the fastest way to resolve co-eluting compounds.
HILIC (Hydrophilic Interaction LC)
A retention mode that enhances separation of polar analytes using a polar stationary phase with high organic mobile phases, commonly used for sugars, nucleotides, and polar metabolites.
Mixed-mode chromatography
Columns designed to provide more than one retention mechanism (e.g., reversed-phase plus ion-exchange), improving separation of complex mixtures containing both neutral and ionic analytes.
LC-MS compatibility
Suitability for mass spectrometry detection—typically requiring low-bleed, reproducible phases and mobile-phase conditions that support stable ionization and sensitive detection.
Frequently Asked Questions â–¶
What applications are Acclaimâ„¢ columns best suited for?
Acclaimâ„¢ (U)HPLC columns are designed for versatile analytical separations including pharmaceuticals, environmental testing, food analysis, peptides, polar compounds, and ionizable analytes. The wide range of stationary phases supports reversed-phase, HILIC, and ion-exchange methods.
How do I choose the correct particle size?
Smaller particle sizes (e.g., sub-2 µm) provide higher efficiency and sharper peaks but require UHPLC systems capable of higher pressure. Larger particles (3 µm or 5 µm) are compatible with conventional HPLC systems and may offer lower backpressure with robust performance.
What is the difference between C18, C8, and Phenyl phases?
C18 phases provide strong hydrophobic retention and broad applicability. C8 phases offer slightly reduced retention and faster elution. Phenyl phases introduce π-π interactions, improving selectivity for aromatic compounds and structurally related analytes.
When should I use HILIC or ion-exchange chemistries?
HILIC is ideal for highly polar compounds that show limited retention in reversed-phase systems. Ion-exchange or mixed-mode phases are preferred for strongly ionic analytes where charge-based retention improves resolution and method robustness.
How do column length and internal diameter affect performance?
Longer columns increase resolving power but extend run time. Shorter columns enable faster analyses. Smaller internal diameters reduce solvent consumption and improve LC-MS sensitivity, while larger diameters may support higher sample loading for UV-based detection.
Are Acclaim columns compatible with LC-MS systems?
Yes. Many Acclaim stationary phases are designed for low bleed and reproducible performance, making them suitable for LC-MS applications when used with appropriate volatile mobile phases and system configurations.