Diquat and paraquat are highly toxic, water-soluble herbicides that are strictly regulated by the EPA in drinking water and environmental samples. Analyzing these permanently charged, highly polar quaternary ammonium compounds using traditional reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is notoriously challenging. Standard methods often result in poor retention and insufficient resolution, forcing laboratories to rely on longer columns that cause extended run times, higher backpressures, and increased solvent consumption.

To overcome these analytical bottlenecks, Hamilton Company developed the PRP-Z2 stationary phase. Engineered with increased crosslinking, deeper pores, a higher surface area, and embedded polar moieties, the PRP-Z2 significantly improves retention and selectivity for highly polar, cationic analytes. This advanced column allows laboratories to achieve fast, robust, and EPA-compatible separations using shorter columns and lower flow rates, ultimately increasing sample throughput and reducing operational costs without sacrificing precision or accuracy.