Ronald E. Majors
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It has often been stated (or maybe overstated) that the column is the heart of the chromatograph. Without the proper choice
of column and appropriate operating conditions, method development and optimization of the high performance liquid chromatographic
(HPLC) separation can be frustrating and unrewarding experiences. Since the beginning of modern liquid chromatography, column
technology has been a driving force in moving separations forward. Today, the driving forces for new column configurations
and phases are the increased need for high throughput applications, for high sensitivity assays and to characterize complex
samples such as peptide digests and natural products.
In the last several years, advances are still being made in column technology with smaller porous particles (1- to 2-μm in
diameter), ultrahigh pressure HPLC, high temperature (up to 200 °C) columns, nano-columns with diameters under 100-μm and
rapid separation columns enabling high-resolution separations in seconds. LC-on-a-Chip experimentation is now driving columns
to smaller and smaller dimensions but making LC-MS interfacing even easier. Polymeric- and silica-based monoliths have seen
major improvements with better reproducibility, a variety of stationary phases, and commercial availability. New particle
designs such as superficially porous particles for high-speed applications have come on the scene. Improvements in applications-specific
columns such as those for chiral separations, sensitive biological samples, and very polar compounds are being shown every
year. The area of multidimensional LC and comprehensive LC×LC has become a reality in the tackling of complex samples.
In time for the HPLC 2008 Symposium held in Baltimore this year, I have assembled a special edition of LCGC North America to highlight the state-of-the-art in HPLC column technology. Experts and pioneers in the field of HPLC column technology
from industry and academia were asked to contribute their technical knowledge. In this issue, we will have an overview of
column advances in the last two years (Majors), followed by a look at high-throughput and high pressure LC (Rozing), polymeric
monolithic columns (Svec and Krenkova) and silica-based monolithic columns (Cabrera), high temperature HPLC (Yang), chiral
chromatography columns (Beesley), enhanced stability stationary phases (Silva and Collins), and rounded out with a treatise
on hydrophilic interaction chromatography (McCalley). The contributors were asked to provide an update on the phase and column
technology in their respective areas with a focus on advances made in recent years. With a defined word limit, focus was directed
primarily to the most recent advances. I hope you find Recent Developments in LC Column Technology of both interest and value. Hopefully this information can be used to help solve your everyday separation problems or, at
the least, give you some ideas of new columns or techniques to try out. Good reading.
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Ronald E. Majors
Recent Developments in LC
Column TechnologyEditor
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