The Column
This article will shed some light on recent developments of micro-LC and the possibility of applying fast separations while reducing toxic and costly solvent waste.
Over the years there has been an on-going trend for miniaturization in life sciences. There is a similar trend in the field of chromatography. Some manufacturers have already introduced new devices on the basis of chip‑technology. Unfortunately, progress is very slow and many users are searching for “bridge technologies” like micro-LC. Although the instrumentation has matured, many practitioners are still prejudiced against micro‑LC because of long-standing notions of irreproducible gradient formation and a low robustness of commercially available instruments. This article will therefore shed some light on recent developments of micro‑LC and the possibility of applying fast separations while reducing toxic and costly solvent waste.