Article Published on Recent Trends in Suppressor Techniques for Ion Chromatography
New article reviews the progress in suppression techniques for ion chromatography from 1981 to 2022, with an emphasis on the last ten years, and discusses the current challenges and future prospects regarding suppressors.
A recent article in Chromatographia led by Zhixiong Zhong, a researcher at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Guangzhou, China, discusses the progress in suppressor techniques for ion chromatography (IC) from 1981 to 2022, with a focus on the last ten years (1).
Ion | Image Credit: © soponyono - stock.adobe.com
IC is a separation technique used to separate and quantify ions in a sample. The technique relies on the attraction of ions to oppositely charged stationary phase (resin) in the column. Different ions have different affinities for the resin, leading to their separation. Ion chromatography has applications in various fields, including environmental monitoring, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and industrial process control.
Suppressor techniques play a crucial role in emerging analysis areas but also present significant scientific challenges. Improving the performance of suppressors for ion chromatography requires consideration of the intrinsic characteristics of the components used, the design of the system, and the suppression mechanism.
Early packed-column suppressors needed to be regenerated offline using an acid or base solution and had too large delay volume to possess sufficient suppression capacity. However, the trend is shifting towards the development of convenient, sustainable, and high-performance suppressors in several ways:
(i) significant improvement in the electrolytically or chemically regenerated suppression techniques;
(ii) miniaturization of conventional suppressors and use of innovative designs to reduce the void volume and overall band dispersion; and
(iii) application of ion reflux to suppressors for reducing waste generation.
The article primarily focuses on the development and special applications of suppressors, including the design and performance of suppressors, buffer generation, analyte enrichment, and matrix isolation. Furthermore, the article discusses current challenges and future prospects regarding suppressors.
In conclusion, recent advancements in suppressor techniques have enabled better control and efficiency in ion chromatography. Researchers are continually working to improve suppressors' performance, and these developments are expected to benefit various industries and applications that rely on ion chromatography.
Reference
(1) Zhixiong Zhong, Z.; Pan, X. Recent Trends in Suppressor Techniques for Ion Chromatography. Chromatographia2023. DOI: 10.1007/s10337-023-04253-4
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