Compounds such as ibuprofen, chlorpheniramine, and allantoin are important in the field of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The analysis of acidic and basic compounds is particularly important but it is sometimes difficult to analyze both acidic and basic compounds on a single standard C18 column. Imtakt's Scherzo SM-C18 and Scherzo SW-C18 HPLC columns can separate acidic ibuprofen and basic chlorpheniramine simultaneously.
Simultaneous HPLC analysis of neurotransmitters can be challenging due to the similarity of their structures.
Metabolomics, the study of small molecule metabolites that are found within a biological sample, is an emerging field of study. Progress in this field depends upon technological advancement in the fields of LC–MS and separation technology.