Pittcon 2025: Chris Palmer Discusses Halogen Bonding in HPLC

Last week at Pittcon, which took place in Boston, Massachusetts, Christopher Palmer, who is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Montana, delivered a talk that spotlighted his work in halogen bonding. This talk, titled “Introduction and Characterization of Halogen Bonding Liquid Chromatography: Liquid Chromatographic Separations Based on Novel Chemical Interaction and Separation Mechanisms,” introduced a new approach to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separations (1). This new method involved leveraging halogen bonding as a retention and separation mechanism (1).

HPLC separations have traditionally relied on interactions such as hydrophobic forces, hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole, and ionic interactions (1). However, Palmer's work highlights the potential of halogen bonding, a relatively underutilized interaction in chromatography (1,2). Halogen bonds demonstrate unique characteristics, including strong donor-acceptor complementarity and a high degree of directionality. These properties enable enhanced selectivity and retention, broadening the analytical capabilities of HPLC for complex mixtures (1).

Palmer, who earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Arizona in 1991, has an extensive research background, including postdoctoral work at Virginia Tech, Unilever Research in the Netherlands, and Himeji Institute of Technology in Japan (2). Before joining the University of Montana, he held faculty and research positions at New Mexico Tech, the University of Maryland, and the University of Tasmania, and served as a Fulbright Visiting Professor in Brazil (2). His expertise lies in developing novel polymeric materials for microscale liquid phase separations, with applications in environmental analysis (2).

In a previous interview with LCGC International at Pittcon 2025, Palmer discussed the growing role of electrokinetic chromatography, particularly in pharmaceutical, environmental, and biochemical analysis (3). This interview segment was part of a longer conversation that we conducted with Palmer at the conference.

In our full conversation with Palmer, we discussed several other topics related to HPLC separations and his research. We asked Palmer about developing novel polymeric materials for microscale liquid phase separations, as well as some of the current trends and challenges he is observing in chromatography.

References

1. Palmer, C. Introduction and Characterization of Halogen Bonding Liquid Chromatography: Liquid Chromatographic Separations Based on Novel Chemical Interaction and Separation Mechanisms. Presented at the 76th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Boston, Massachusetts, March 3, 2025.
2. University of Montana, Christopher Palmer. UMT.edu. Available at: https://www.umt.edu/chemistry/people/default.php?ID=531 (accessed 2025-03-13).
3. Wetzel, W. Pittcon 2025: Christopher Palmer On the Evolving Role of Electrokinetic Chromatography. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/pittcon-2025-christopher-palmer-discusses-the-evolving-role-of-electrokinetic-chromatography (accessed 2025-03-13).