Why Perfect Order Matters: Gert Desmet on Next-Gen HPLC Columns

At analytica 2026 in Munich, Germany, LCGC International spoke to Gert Desmet from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel about his talk entitled: “Next-Gen HPLC: A Column Technology Deep Dive.”¹

In this video interview clip, Desmet answers the following question:

• Your work focuses on perfectly ordered column structures like pillar arrays and 3D-printed supports — where does this drive towards perfect order come from, and what are the fundamental theoretical gains in chromatographic performance that make it worth pursuing?

Column technology continues to drive chromatographic performance, and this lecture examines three transformative innovations. Micro-pillar array columns use precisely engineered microstructures to deliver superior separation efficiency, reduced backpressure, and enhanced reproducibility, making them well-suited to miniaturized and high-throughput workflows. 3D-printed chromatographic supports bring additive manufacturing to stationary phase design, enabling unprecedented control over geometry and porosity to improve mass transfer, reduce eddy diffusion, and open new stationary phase chemistries. Multi-capillary channel columns take a parallel approach, achieving faster analyses without sacrificing resolution, with strong potential for ultrafast separations. Together, these advances can help to address the growing analytical demands for speed, sensitivity, and sustainability.

Gert Desmet has a master’s degree in chemical engineering and obtained his PhD in chemical engineering (fermentation technology) from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium, where he is currently a full professor in chemical engineering and where he was the head of the Department of Chemical Engineering from 2008 until 2020. In 2012-2015, he was the vice-dean of the Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering. His research focuses on the miniaturization of separation methods and on the investigation and modeling of flow effects in chromatographic systems. He recently guest-edited an LCGC International supplement on Advances in (U)HPLC.²

References

1. Desmet, G. Next-Gen HPLC: A Column Technology Deep Dive. Presented at analytica 2026, in Munich, Germany. https://analytica.de/en/event-program/conference/lecture/next-gen-hplc-a-column-technology-deep-dive-16263/(accessed 2026-03-24).
2. Advances in (U)HPLC, LCGC International Supplement, June 2025. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/journals/lcgc-supplements/advances-in-u-hplc-2025