LCGC Europe-12-01-2018

Biotherapeutics have become the hottest topic in pharmaceutical research over the past decade. With the increased interest in biotherapeutics, there has been a concomitant increase in new analytical methods for characterizing these large, complex molecules. This installment of “Column Watch” discusses advances in “bottom-up” analysis of monoclonal antibodies, while highlighting the role and importance column chemistry still plays in developing highly selective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for peptides.

This article discusses the use of emerging technologies that are complementary to established techniques, to significantly reduce these shortcomings for both synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones. In this vein, the utility of recently reported approaches including ultrahigh performance supercritical fluid chromatography (UHPSFC)–photodiode array (PDA) ultraviolet (UV)–MS, and GC–vacuum UV is discussed. To increase the specificity of analysis, multiple chromatographic techniques are commonly used. For the analysis of emerging drugs, a combination of GC and UHPSFC is recommended. The utility of a previously unreported coupled-columns approach for UHPSFC to significantly enhance resolution of synthetic cathinones is presented.

Sample preparation is the most crucial step for the development of an analytical method. The main purpose of sample preparation is the extraction and preconcentration of the target analytes, as well as the removal of the matrix interferences, before their separation and determination. It is the most time consuming step that should be deliberately optimized to enhance extraction selectivity and detection capability. LLE and SPE, along with their variations, are usually applied for sample extraction and cleanup. MIPs can replace conventional sorbent materials in sample preparation techniques such as SPE, SMPE, and MSPD, offering increased selectivity over the target analytes. Attention is given in MISPE, which is mostly used to study MIP applications, as well as a commercially available technique.

Lloyd Snyder was one of perhaps ten “founding fathers” of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with seminal publications in most areas, including adsorption (normal phase), reversed phase, isocratic, gradient, and preparative chromatography; plus solvent, temperature, and column selectivity. With nine books, several hundred publications, and an h-index of 83, he was one of the most widely cited chromatographers and received many of the most prestigious awards in separation science.

Click the title above to open the LCGC Europe December 2018 regular issue in an interactive PDF format.

Is gas chromatography a mature technology? LCGC Europe spoke to Ronda Gras about a range of GC projects she has been working on to extend the scope of the technique, including a multi-hyphenated approach combining three modes of detection, a miniaturized micromachined GC system, and a novel in situ method to detect carbon dioxide in various matrices by incorporating 3D-printing technology in a FID.

The 48th International Symposium on High Performance Liquid Phase Separations and Related Techniques (HPLC 2019) will be held 16Ð20 June 2019 at the Milano-Bicocca University, Milan, Italy. This is the first time that this Symposium will be held in Italy.

The fundamental principles of UV detection