UHPLC – ultra high performance liquid chromatography – systems have been around since 2003 and continue to grow. These systems, while having better performance than traditional HPLC, have more limited surface chemistries than HPLC. Surface chemistries give columns their selectivity. Recently, UHPLC has been catching up in this area, however, and many more options are available today than in the past. When deciding if UHPLC rather than HPLC is right for your lab, it’s important to note that these systems can mean savings over the long term through increased productivity and throughput. The slower flow rates of UHPLC systems also mean they consume much lower amounts of costly solvents as well as providing higher quality data to users. As for methods, transferring HPLC methods to UHPLC or developing UHPLC methods is much easier nowadays through the kits most vendors offer, which are made up of a conventional column and a sub-2-micron column of the same chemistry. To find out the latest offerings in UHPLC systems, and to find out which is right for you, contacting your vendor is usually a great first step.
Applications
- Quality control in pharmaceuticals
- Pesticide levels in foods
- Determining quantities of incriminating evidence at crime scenes
- Food and beverage labs (ex. Beer analysis)
- Environmental labs (ex. emerging contaminants)
- Pharmaceutical and clinical labs (ex. Biological fluids)
Eksigent ExpressHT™-Ultra System
AB SCIEX has recently introduced a new hardware kit for use with the ExpressHT™-Ultra System that enables closer mounting of heated columns to the Turbo V™ ionization source to minimize tubing lengths and further maximize chromatographic resolution. The company has also launched new electrospray ionization electrodes for use with the Turbo V source.
- Electrodes and hardware minimize peak dispersion
- Allows scientists to obtain higher quality chromatography
- Can make the LC/MS gradient faster
- New electrodes are designed to work with the ExpressHT™-Ultra System on the AB SCIEX QTRAP®, Triple Quad™ and TripleTOF™ systems
Shimadzu Nexera
The Nexera ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system delivers the speed, resolution and reliability, as well as pulse-free operation, for the most demanding LC/MS(/MS) applications. Because high-sensitivity analysis of complex samples is necessary, the front-end component for LC/MS(/MS) must decrease its carryover to zero. With its various components, the Nexera helps do just that.
- Nexera SIL-30AC autosampler reduces carryover to an absolute minimum
- The autosampler also features an ultrafast injection speed of 10 seconds
- The LC-30AD pump features an automatic pulsation-correction mechanism
- MiRC mixer delivers efficient, low-volume mixing
Thermo Fisher EASY-nLC 1000
Thermo Scientific’s EASY-nLC 1000 liquid chromatograph provides effortless split-free, nano-flow UHPLC performance up to 1000 bar with minimal investment. The instrument’s dual in-line flow sensors before mixing give uncompromising gradient precision. This machine can also allow users to identify more peptides and increase productivity with higher pressure without compromising reliability and robustness.
- Facilitates dedicated separation of biomolecules at ultra-high pressures
- Easy to use
- Can integrate with Thermo’s complete range of MS systems
- Significantly shortens analytical cycles
