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Chromatography Techniques: February 2013
February 11, 2013 10:16 am | Digital Editions | CommentsThe February issue of Chromatography Techniques has a plethora of technical articles for any chromatographer or spectroscopy specialist. A large volume splitless injection method is described for the analysis of water with low detection limits, as well as sorbent sampling tips, imaging analysis for HPLC columns, a new FTIR method and much, much more.
FTIR Spectroscopy Excels at Gas Analysis
February 8, 2013 12:02 pm | by Hiroshi Ota, Spectroscopy Business Unit, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments., Columbia, Md. | Articles | CommentsFTIR has emerged as a viable alternative to gas chromatography for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of gases. Qualification and quantitation are performed from the wave numbers of the characteristic peaks and peak intensities of the measured gas.
Imaging Analysis Ensures HPLC Column Performance
February 8, 2013 11:53 am | by Particulate Systems, Norcross, Ga. | Articles | CommentsIf there was a method for packing material manufacturers to specify shape characteristics and for column manufacturers to inspect incoming materials against those specifications, manufacturing HPLC columns would become more predictable, less costly and exhibit consistent performance. Recent advancements in image analysis could provide the answer.
UHPLC MS/MS Method Rids Water of Contaminants
February 8, 2013 11:41 am | by Tarun Anumol, Sylvain Merel and Shane Snyder, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, BIO5 Institute, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. | Articles | CommentsThis article describes a method for the rapid and sensitive detection of 36 CEC analytes in less than 20 minutes per sample. This UHPLC MS/MS method was developed on an Agilent 1290 Infinity LC system coupled to an Agilent 6460 Triple Quadrupole LCMS system using both positive and negative electrospray ionization.
New C18 Columns Expand Methods Development Toolbox
February 8, 2013 11:22 am | by Derek Jensen, Hamilton Co., and Carol Preisig and Annette Summers, Consultants, GeneCom Group | Articles | CommentsThe flexibility to perform separations without pH, temperature or mobile phase restrictions arms chromatographers with powerful tools for tackling tough separations. The right combination of stationary and mobile phase is critical for generating the well-defined, sharp peaks that allow shorter run times.
Top Tips for Sorbent Sampling
February 8, 2013 11:17 am | by Markes International Ltd., United Kingdom | Articles | CommentsSampling using sorbent tubes for analysis by thermal desorption gas chromatography is ideal for a wide range of applications, from monitoring industrial air to odor profiling of foods. However, for those new to the area, the options available can make it difficult to decide how best to proceed.
Chiral Separation Gets an MS-Based Upgrade
February 8, 2013 11:11 am | by Waters Corp., Milford, Mass. | Articles | CommentsA multitude of performance factors including dense gas CO2, small particle columns and mass spectrometry with UV detection are speeding up chiral separation methods development. Chirality plays a critical role in drug efficacy because enantiomers may have vastly different biological, pharmacological and toxicological properties.
Book Review: Beginner's Guide to SPE
February 8, 2013 11:04 am | by Tim Studt, Editorial Director | Articles | CommentsWaters Corp., Milford, Mass., has published an all-new 212-page Beginner's Guide to Solid Phase Extraction (SPE). The book includes chapters on terms and calculations, methods development, troubleshooting, understanding how liquid chromatography makes SPE powerful, benefits of SPE, an extensive glossary of terms and numerous applications.
Water Analysis Method Meets Low Detection Limits
February 8, 2013 11:01 am | by Michelle Misselwitz and Jack Cochran, Restek Corp., Bellefonte, Penn. | Articles | CommentsConcurrent solvent recondensation–large volume splitless injection meets the EPA’s low detection limits for water analysis, while also reducing sample preparation time by more than one hour. This injection method produces a pressure surge from the vaporizing solvent, forcing the analytes onto the pre-column.
Chromatography Techniques: December 2012
December 7, 2012 4:38 pm | Digital Editions | CommentsChromatography Techniques' December 2012 cover story centers on automation and integration systems that are simplifying sample prep workflows. Other articles focus on MEMS-based instruments, analytical R&D in drug discovery and high-purity water in UHPLC, HPLC-ICP-MS in contamination studies.
MEMS-Based Systems Enable Novel Instruments
December 7, 2012 4:27 pm | by Roger Grace, President, Roger Grace Associates | Articles | CommentsMEMS–Based Systems Solutions (MBSS) are the integration of MEMS front ends, including sensors, actuators and or structures, with signal processing vis-à-vis ASIC, embedded software in the microprocessor-based ASIC, energy management/storage and network connectivity, either wired or wireless.
Analytical Instruments Drive Pharmaceutical R&D
December 7, 2012 4:11 pm | Articles | CommentsThe development and commercialization of new medical drugs is a complex and costly process, but increasing pressure is being placed on drug companies to accelerate the timeline from discovery of new drugs. The pharmaceutical industry continues to demand ever more advanced products aimed at improving health and the quality of modern-day life.
High-Purity Water Meets UHPLC Needs
December 7, 2012 4:06 pm | by Estelle Riche, Anastasia Khvataeva and Stephane Mabic, EMD Millipore, Billerica, Mass., and Jean-Michel Plankeele and Marijn Van Hulle, Waters Corp., Milford, Mass. | Articles | CommentsUltra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) is an increasingly popular technique. By using a combination of sub-2 μm particles and instrumentation capable of withstanding high pressures and maintaining peak shape, UHPLC allows for higher sensitivity, resolution and speed than traditional HPLC.
HPLC-ICP-MS Tackles Apple Juice Toxicity
December 7, 2012 3:57 pm | by Mina Tanoshima, Tetsushi Sakai and Ed McCurdy, Agilent Technologies | Articles | CommentsThe presence of potentially toxic elements and compounds in foodstuffs is of intense public interest, and so food producers as well as regulators require rapid, reliable screening methods to accurately determine the levels of such contaminants in food and drink.
Multitude of Operations Improving Sample Prep
December 7, 2012 3:48 pm | by Tim Studt, Editorial Director | Articles | CommentsImproving time-intensive laboratory sample preparation techniques goes beyond just adding automation systems. Automating sample preparation processes has been the most popular procedure developed by equipment manufacturers, especially for liquid handling systems. Integrating or combining several steps into one is another technique currently being used.
Chromatography Techniques: September 2012
September 5, 2012 2:39 pm | Digital Editions | CommentsCheck out the digital edition of Chromatography Techniques' September 2012 issue. The cover story details gas chromatography systems used on Mars, and those used on Earth as well. Other articles detail with detection spectroscopy, clean gas, time-of-flight and solid phase extraction.
Automated and Semi-Automated Sample Prep
September 5, 2012 12:52 pm | by Tim Studt, Editorial Director | Articles | CommentsChromatography itself can be used as an automated sample preparation procedure for sample purification in drug discovery. Automating solid phase extraction (SPE) is also increasingly useful for rapid sample prep and purification for chromatographic or other analyses.
Extracting for Health
September 5, 2012 12:46 pm | by Christina Smith, Editorial Intern | Articles | CommentsSolid-phase extraction (SPE) is one of the most common chromatographic processes, and, in recent years, the growth of automated SPE has catapulted its use in laboratories. As a result, SPE systems are becoming more integrated—being made more compatible with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) systems, or combined with LCMS in one system.
TOF-MS Takes on Complex GC Analyses
September 5, 2012 12:27 pm | by David Barden, ALMSCO International, Llantrisant, UK | Articles | CommentsThe latest advancements in time-of-flight mass spectrometry have allowed the technology to easily tackle day-to-day analysis of complex samples by GC. On the face of it, time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) ought to be more popular than it is.
The Art of Raman Spectroscopy
September 5, 2012 12:17 pm | by Thomas Tague Jr., Bruker Optics, Billerica, Mass. | Articles | CommentsNew capabilities such as advanced detectors and optics are improving the use of infrared and Raman spectroscopy in the chemical analysis and validation of art objects. The analysis of art objects is conducted for a variety of purposes, with authentication being the most visible.
Clean Gas Yields Clean Chromatography
September 5, 2012 12:05 pm | by Agilent Technologies | Articles | CommentsThe need for good gas hygiene is important to avoid risking the integrity of instruments, as well as to produce better, more productive chromatography. Ensuring gas hygiene is one of the most important steps researchers can take to optimize the performance of GC or ICP systems. Impure gases can cause installation delays, premature instrument failure and flawed results.
GC on Mars (and Earth)
September 5, 2012 11:51 am | by Tim Studt, Editorial Director | Articles | CommentsNASA's Curiosity rover has a compact GC system for analyzing rocks, while new GC systems on earth work with increased sensitivity and accuracy. The automated sample analysis at Mars (SAM) module is just one of a dozen instruments contained in NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) that are mounted on the Curiosity rover that landed successfully on Mars on August 5.
