[en] The Lewis acid sites present on the underlying zirconium oxide particles are responsible for the unusual elution sequence for amino acids on copper loaded, phosphated zirconium oxide supports reported in an earlier study. To more thoroughly examine the effect of these strong Lewis acid sites in this paper. The authors have studied ligand exchange chromatography on copper loaded zirconium oxide particles. It is shown here that carboxylate functional groups on amino acid solutes strongly interact with surface Lewis acid sites. Addition of competing hard Lewis bases to the eluent attenuates these specific interactions. The result is a chromatographic system with high selectivity which is also suitable for ligand exchange chromatography of proteins

[en] This paper reports on the chromatographic properties of porous microparticulate zirconium oxide surfaces in aqueous media which are highly dependent upon the chemical composition of the eluent. In particular, retention is controlled by the type and concentration of hard Ligand exchange is the dominant mechanism for the retention of solutes which are Lewis bases. consequently, the capacity factor and plate height depend on both the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of whatever competing Lewis bases may be present in the eluent. These Lewis base eluent components act to control retention in two ways. They modify the net ligand exchange contribution to retention, and they serve as sites for secondary interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions between solutes and the dynamic stationary phase