Methods Development

Eksigent's microflow parallel LC, the ExpressLC®-800 system, can significantly reduce the amount of time and effort that is required by conventional LC approaches to evaluate the separation of complex samples for column selection and method development.

The development of an LC method to optimize the separation of a complex sample normally involves a large number of trial separations using a variety of columns and mobile phases.

When screening columns, the chemist will analyze the sample using various columns with a common mobile phase to determine the optimum column for the separation. While this approach may well lead to the column that provides the suitable separation for the compounds of analytical interest, it can be extremely time consuming and labor intensive. In addition to the time for the actual separation, the time required to physically exchange columns and equilibrate each column with the mobile phase must be considered.

The Eksigent ExpressLC-800 system provides a considerably more rapid approach for column screening than the use of a conventional LC system. This system performs the simultaneous separation of a sample using eight individual columns of different characteristics. The time required to collect the eight chromatograms via the ExpressLC-800 system is typically less than that for a single chromatogram on a conventional system. This has the effect of reducing method development time down from weeks to days.

Read the Application Note in its entirety.