A Career in Liquid Chromatography: An Interview with Wolfgang Lindner

Wolfgang F. Lindner, the 2024 winner of LCGC International’s Lifetime Achievement Award, is a distinguished figure in analytical chemistry, holding the position of professor emeritus at the University of Vienna. Lindner's expertise lies in chiral separations, with a focus on liquid chromatography (LC), capillary electrophoresis (CE), capillary electrochromatography (CEC), and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Unlike traditional approaches, Lindner's work emphasized enantioselective molecular recognition, particularly for polar and ionic species. He has made significant contributions to the development and licensing of chiral stationary phases, widely utilized in research and pharmaceutical industries.

Lindner's research extends to the application of enantiomer separations in pharmacokinetics and metabolomics, notably in amino and hydroxyl acids. He delves into non-covalent binding interactions between analytes and chiral stationary phases, exploring the influence of mobile phase components. Lindner's innovations have included highly selective mixed-mode and hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) phases, as well as arginine modifications for liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis of basic peptides. Throughout his career, Lindner remained dedicated to fundamental research in analytical chemistry, advancing techniques and understanding in chiral separations.

LCGC International sat down with Lindner to discuss the following:

• Sometimes a “lifetime achievement” award can be misleading. Are you still working on research for future publication? (0:13)
• That being said, what does it mean to you at this point in your life and career to receive this honor? (0:55)
• What is it you look forward to at Pittcon, and what are you looking forward to in these couple of days in San Diego? (3:39)