Grafted Photo-Polymerized Monolithic Column

A method for isolating nucleic acid on a monolithic column, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) preparing a monolithic column having the steps of
• (i) providing a vessel;
• (ii) conditioning the interior surface of said vessel by contacting it with a silica-based flushing solution;
• (iii) preparing a silica-based monomer solution through hydrolysis of a silica monomer;
• (iv) forming a polymerizable mixture by admixing said silica-based monomer solution, an initiator material, and a porogenic solvent;
• (v) introducing said polymerizable mixture into the vessel;
• (vi) initiating the in situ polymerization of said polymerizable mixture by exposing selected portions of the mixture to UV light, thereby forming the UV photo-polymerized silica-based monolithic column within portions of the vessel;
• (vii) flushing a silica-based monomer reagent through said UV photo-polymerized silica-based monolithic column, thereby forming the grafted porous UV photo-polymerized silica-based monolithic column within portions of the vessel;
• and
• (b) isolating the nucleic acid on the monolithic column.