Grafted photo-polymerized monolithic column

1. 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.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said silica-based flushing solution comprises a silica monomer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the silica monomer is 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silica-based monomer solution comprises a silica monomer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the silica monomer is selected from a group consisting of 3-(Triethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate and 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, and 3-[Tris(trimethylsiloxy)propyl methacrylate.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the silica monomer comprises an acrylate group joined with a silane group.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the silica monomer comprising an acrylate group joined with a silane group is 3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the period for hydrolysis on the silica monomer ranges from 45 seconds to 20 minutes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silica-based monomer solution is present in an amount about 10 vol % to about 50 vol %.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiation is accomplished by a photoinitiator.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of benzophenone, dimethoxyacetophenone, xanthone, thioxanthone, and mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said porogenic solvent is an organic solvent.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said porogenic solvent is an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, organic acid esters, soluble polymer solutions, and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said porogenic solvent is toluene.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solvent is present in an amount from about 70 vol % to about 90 vol %.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating step is achieved by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said silica-based monomer reagent comprises a silica monomer.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said silica monomer is selected from a group consisting of tetraethylorthosilicate and tetramethylorthosilicate.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said silica monomer is tetramethylorthosilicate.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said silica-based monomer reagent is present in an amount from about 50 vol % to 90 vol %.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein said silica-based monomer reagent is flushed through the silica-based monolith column for about 15 minutes to 120 minutes.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein said vessel is a capillary, pipette, tube, or microchannel on a microfluidic device.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said vessel is a capillary.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said capillary is a fused silica capillary equal to 2 cm in length, having an inside diameter of 250 μm, and an outside diameter of 365 μm.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprising:

(i) loading a sample in the presence of a chaotropic agent onto the column for the binding of the nucleic acid to the column;

(ii) washing the column with a wash buffer solution; and

(iii) releasing the bound nucleic acid from said column.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the nucleic acid is DNA or RNA.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the releasing step is accomplished by washing the column with a buffer solution that is compatible with PCR reactions.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the buffer solution is Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, or Tris hydrochloride with EDTA.

29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vessel is on a microchip.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein said microchip is a microfluidic device.