November 1st 2024
In a new study, scientists introduced no-code automation as a strategic response for addressing talent shortages in the chemical industry.
September 10th 2024
Overview of Methods and Considerations for Handling Complex Samples
April 1st 2020When working with complex samples, we need effective approaches to deal with matrix interferences. Here, we outline methods of sample preparation, on-line sample treatment, and instrument tools that can help. We also provide examples of applications and guidance for how to evaluate the best option for your complex sample.
Paper-Based Sorptive Phases Prepared by Dip Coating
February 1st 2020Paper-based sorptive phases are promising tools in sample preparation because of their high surface-to-volume ratio, porosity, and versatility. This article discusses the synthesis of paper-based sorptive phases by dip coating. This procedure has allowed a wide variety of phases coated with polymers, nanoparticles, and their combination to be synthesized. This article presents the synthesis, types of coatings, and extraction devices, to highlight the versatility and potential of these materials to the analytical community, particularly for sample preparation.
Sampling: The Ghost in Front of the Laboratory Door
February 1st 2020Sampling can be the most demanding part of an analysis. Anybody in charge of sampling needs a good understanding of the composition of the material to be investigated, its heterogeneity (or homogeneity, in simple cases), and the chemical properties of the analytes. Sampling procedures must be described in detail. Detecting the bias of a sampling procedure can be difficult; this fact is trivial, but it must not be forgotten.
Sample Preparation Goes Subzero: Ice Concentration Linked with Extractive Stirrer (ICECLES)
January 1st 2020A new technique, ICE concentration linked with extractive stirrer (ICECLES), provides highly efficient isolation of trace compounds from aqueous samples. ICECLES combines freeze concentration with stir-bar sorptive extraction into a seamless analytical extraction methodology.
Modern Sample Preparation Methods for Food and Environmental Laboratories
February 6th 2019Traditional sample preparation method development can often be laborious and costly. Understanding the underlying concepts of the technique can help food and environmental laboratories develop methods in notoriously complex matrices, faster, more efficiently, and provide better chromatography. With the presence of many unique matrices and analytes, methods such as QuEChERS, supported liquid extraction (SLE), or solid-phase extraction (SPE) provide the necessary adaptability for many types of extractions. With customizable methods to work with unique matrices and with the addition of automation, extractions can be improved to save time and provide consistent recoveries.
Recent Advances in Solid-Phase Microextraction, Part I: New Tricks for an Old Dog
March 1st 2018A look at recent advances in SPME, such as increasing the sorbent surface area available for extraction, accommodating direct analysis by mass spectrometry, and sorbent overcoating to resist fouling by sugars and lipids
Sample Preparation: The State of the Art
November 1st 2017In this extended special feature to celebrate the 30th anniversary edition of LCGC Europe, leading figures from the separation science community explore contemporary trends in separation science and identify possible future developments. We asked key opinion leaders in the field to discuss the current state of the art in sample preparation.
The Use of Extraction Technologies in Food Safety Studies
March 1st 2017Traditional extraction methods for food samples, such as liquid-liquid extraction and Soxhlet extraction, are often time-consuming and require large amounts of organic solvents. Therefore, one of the objectives of analytical food safety studies currently has been the development of new extraction techniques that can improve the accuracy and precision of analytical results and simplify the analytical procedure.
Supporting Bioanalysis with Dried Blood Spots
November 1st 2016Blood is perhaps the most widely used sample fluid in bioanalysis. Dried blood spots (DBS) have been used with clinical samples for over 50 years but are recently seeing a resurgence of interest. DBS hold several advantages associated with the use of small sample sizes obtained via finger pricks, reduction biohazard, and more. In the previous installment, we gave an overview of microsampling in bioanalysis. This month, we will dig deeper into bioanalysis using DBS.
Let’s Do It Right the First Time: The Importance of Solvent Safety Considerations
October 1st 2015If sample preparation is the most time and labor intense step in the analytical process, and uses the largest amounts of solvents, it stands to reason that sample preparation may present the most significant safety risks in the analytical lab. While most laboratory workers receive significant safety training, we may become numb to the prospect of accidents or get into the mindset that accidents only happen to other people. Given some recent, significant safety incidents, this month we step back and take a quick refresher on safety concerns appropriate during our sample preparation activities.