Agilent InfinityLab SFC Solutions

Importance of the Topic

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has emerged as a powerful, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional liquid chromatography techniques. By using supercritical CO₂ as the main mobile phase, SFC significantly reduces consumption of hazardous organic solvents, accelerates analysis, and offers complementary selectivity to HPLC and UHPLC. This makes SFC highly attractive for applications in pharmaceuticals, food safety, environmental testing, and forensic and toxicology laboratories.

Objectives and Study Overview

This overview evaluates the Agilent InfinityLab SFC Solutions, designed to extend application reach while maximizing sustainability. The goals are to present system capabilities, describe method-development workflows, highlight integration with diverse detectors, and illustrate benefits in real-world sample analyses across multiple industries.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The InfinityLab SFC family is built around the 1260 Infinity II SFC/UHPLC Hybrid System, capable of pressures up to 600 bar. Key components include:

• High-pressure CO₂ booster pump with programmable backpressure gradients
• Multi­sampler offering FEED injection for SFC and flow-through injection for UHPLC
• Solvent-selection valve enabling automated access to up to 15 modifiers
• Modular multicolumn thermostats (up to four units, 32 columns) for automated screening

Detection options cover UV-visible detectors (VWD, DAD), ELSD for nonchromophoric analytes, triple quadrupole MS for quantitative screening, and Q-TOF MS for high-resolution profiling.

Main Results and Discussion

Agilent InfinityLab SFC Solutions deliver separation speeds up to ten times faster than HPLC, with high flow accuracy (up to 5 mL/min at 600 bar) and robust low-dispersion connections. Comparative studies demonstrate complete resolution of chiral pharmaceuticals (e.g., ibuprofen enantiomers in under 5 min), separation of vitamin E vitamers, rapid screening of drug-of-abuse panels, and quantitation of hundreds of pesticides in a single run. The hybrid configuration eliminates instrument downtime by switching seamlessly between SFC and UHPLC.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The Agilent InfinityLab SFC portfolio combines speed, flexibility, and green credentials:

• Accelerated analyses with high throughput and reduced sample turnaround
• Orthogonal selectivity enabling novel separations in challenging matrices
• Lower operating costs through cut solvent purchase and disposal by >80%
• Seamless integration with existing UHPLC infrastructure
• Wide application scope from nonpolar lipids to polar peptides and ions

Future Trends and Applications

Ongoing developments include enhanced automation, expanded stationary-phase chemistries, and deeper integration with high-resolution MS for untargeted screening. Advances in software-driven method scouting and increased sample capacity will further boost throughput, while emerging sustainable solvent systems promise even greener workflows.

Conclusion

Agilent InfinityLab SFC Solutions deliver robust, high-speed separations with minimal environmental impact. Their hybrid SFC/UHPLC capability, combined with versatile detection, comprehensive automation, and streamlined method development, empowers laboratories to tackle diverse analytical challenges more efficiently and sustainably.

Reference

• Agilent application note 5994-0171EN
• Agilent application note 5991-1546EN
• Agilent application note 5991-6436EN
• Agilent application note 5991-6747EN
• Agilent application note 5991-6151EN
• Agilent application note 5994-1351EN
• Agilent application note 5994-1096EN
• Agilent brochure 5994-1638EN
• Agilent quick reference guide 5991-8116EN