Fast and Efficient Separations Using Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

Liquid chromatography has seen a dramatic increase in speed and efficiency over the past decade. The advances in separation speed have been mostly related to the development of column technology and instrumentation. The column technology includes small uniform particles, monolithic columns, and thermally stable phases with various bonding chemistries. Relatively short columns packed with sub‐2 µm particles provide high speed and efficient separations. The high porosity and small skeleton size of monolithic columns permit operation at high flow rates on relatively long columns, using a conventional LC system for high speed and high efficiency separation. The new instrumentation is associated with ultra‐high pressure pump systems and high temperature systems. Ultra‐high or very high pressure pump systems have been used to overcome the high pressure drop generated by small particles. High temperature liquid chromatography allows fast separation using high linear velocities and stable stationary phases. In this review, ultra‐high pressure liquid chromatography, ultra‐performance liquid chromatography, monolithic columns, and high temperature liquid chromatography are discussed as means for attaining fast and efficient separations. Minutes to sub‐minute separations for various samples are demonstrated using these technologies.

Keywords:

• Fast separation
• Reversed‐phase liquid chromatography
• Ultra‐high pressure
• Ultra‐performance
• Monolithic and packed columns
• High temperature
• High efficiency