New Developments in GC, HPLC and Sample Prep at Supelco

Importance of Topic

This presentation from Supelco highlights recent analytical advances in gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and sample preparation. Innovative column chemistries, sample cleanup tools and emerging instrumentation strategies are essential for improving selectivity, throughput and robustness in environmental, pharmaceutical and industrial analyses.

Objectives and Study Overview

• Introduce ionic liquid capillary GC phases and their complementary selectivity
• Present developments in solid phase microextraction fibers for solvent desorption and in vivo sampling
• Compare Titan UHPLC column technology with existing porous and core shell particles
• Demonstrate HybridSPE phospholipid removal for LC-MS sample cleanup
• Showcase a novel dry air sampler for isocyanate monitoring
• Discuss performance data and future applications

Methodology and Instrumentation

• GC separations on SLB ionic liquid columns (IL60, IL111, IL59, IL94, IL107, IL200) with hydrogen or helium carrier gas and FID or TCD detection
• Two-dimensional GC×GC on LECO Pegasus TOF-MS with nonpolar–polar and polar–nonpolar column sets
• SPME fibers coated with HPLC particles and automated DESI-1D interface for solvent desorption and biocompatible sampling
• UHPLC analysis on Titan C18 columns (1.9 µm narrow PSD porous silica) using low dispersion systems
• Sample cleanup via HybridSPE-PL plates and cartridges with zirconia-coated silica for selective phospholipid removal prior to LC-MS
• Isocyanate air sampling using DBA-impregnated denuder/filter (ASSET EZ4-NCO) and LC-MS quantification

Key Results and Discussion

• Ionic liquid GC columns delivered complementary separation of fatty acid methyl ester cis/trans isomers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and water-miscible solvents
• GC×GC methods for biodiesel analysis compared nonpolar–polar and polar–nonpolar strategies, achieving faster analysis without loss of resolution
• New SPME fiber probes exhibited durable, reproducible coatings, biocompatibility and single-use designs suitable for in vivo experiments
• Titan UHPLC columns demonstrated high efficiency, stable peak asymmetry and lower backpressure compared with sub-2 µm competitors
• HybridSPE-PL eliminated protein and phospholipid interferences, reduced matrix suppression, stabilized column performance and enabled high daily injection throughput
• ASSET EZ4-NCO dry sampler provided reliable derivatization, ease of use and accurate monitoring of aliphatic and aromatic isocyanates in vapor and particulate phases

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced selectivity for challenging matrices in food, environmental and pharmaceutical testing
• Extended GC and LC column lifetime through effective sample cleanup and reduced maintenance
• Increased throughput with shorter analysis cycles and minimal post-run cleaning
• Biocompatible SPME tools enabling direct biological sampling and in vivo measurements
• Reliable occupational air monitoring solutions supporting regulatory compliance

Future Trends and Opportunities

• Broader adoption of ionic liquid phases for fast GC and tailored separations
• Advancements in particle engineering for next-generation, monodisperse UHPLC columns with customized porosity
• Integration of automated, high-throughput SPME and hybrid SPE workflows for drug screening and clinical studies
• Synergy of multidimensional chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry for complex mixture profiling
• Development of portable, single-use samplers for emerging contaminants and field deployable analysis

Conclusion

Supelco’s recent developments in GC column chemistries, UHPLC particle technologies, sample preparation methods and air sampling devices offer practical solutions for modern analytical challenges. Continued innovation in stationary phases and cleanup strategies will drive improved performance, efficiency and data quality across diverse application areas.

References

• Desmet D et al J Chromatogr A 1217 7074 2010
• Little JL et al J Chromatogr B 833 219 2006