Pittcon 2025: Christopher Palmer On the Evolving Role of Electrokinetic Chromatography

Christopher Palmer, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Montana, explored the development of novel high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) stationary phases that utilize halogen bonding as a retention and separation mechanism during his presentation, titled, “Introduction and Characterization of Halogen Bonding Liquid Chromatography: Liquid Chromatographic Separations Based on Novel Chemical Interaction and Separation Mechanisms,” During Pittcon 2025, taking place March 1-5, 2025 in Boston, MA.

Traditionally, HPLC separations have relied on well-established chemical interactions such as hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole, and ionic interactions (1). However, Palmer’s research introduced halogen bonding—a largely underutilized interaction in chromatography—to achieve unique retention and selectivity. Halogen bonds exhibit distinctive properties, including soft-soft complementarity between donor and acceptor atoms and a high degree of directionality (1). As a result, Palmer’s presentation showcased the numerous advantages that one can observe with this approach, and how it expands the capabilities of HPLC separations.

Palmer sat down with LCGC International at Pittcon 2025 to discuss his presentation and the emerging role of electrokinetic chromatography in several important application areas, including pharmaceutical, environmental, and biochemical analysis, particularly with advancements in capillary and microchip-based technologies.

Palmer earned his Ph.D in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Arizona in 1991 (2). He conducted his postdoctoral research at Virginia Tech, Unilever Research in the Netherlands, and Himeji Institute of Technology in Japan (2). He was a faculty member at New Mexico Tech before joining the University of Maryland in 2001 (2). He has held research positions at the University of Tasmania and as a Fulbright Visiting Professor in Brazil (2). His expertise lies in developing novel polymeric materials for microscale liquid phase separations and applying separation techniques to environmental analysis, and we touched upon this in our interview with Palmer regarding electrokinetic chromatography (2).

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 2025-03-03).