HALO® BioClass PCS C18 HPLC columns from Advanced Materials Technology use a positively charged surface C18 stationary phase specifically developed for the separation of basic biomolecules. This chemistry performs optimally with low ionic strength mobile phases, such as those containing formic acid, and effectively minimises peak tailing. By reducing unwanted interactions, these columns deliver notable improvements in resolution, peak shape, efficiency, and sample loading compared with traditional C18 phases. Built on proven Fused-Core® technology with a 160 Å pore size, they provide fast, high-resolution separations suitable for complex biomolecule analyses, including tryptic digests, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and polypeptides.

The HALO® 160 Å PCS C18 range has now expanded to include both 2.0 µm and 2.7 µm particle sizes, offering improved flexibility and sensitivity for UHPLC and LC–MS workflows. The addition of the 2.0 µm option enhances resolving power for complex peptide mixtures while retaining compatibility with low ionic strength mobile phases. Under acidic conditions, the positively charged surface promotes superior peak symmetry and higher sample loading capacity, enabling more reliable detection and characterisation of biomolecular species in demanding analytical environments.