THE DIFFERENCIATE BETWEEN HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPH
(HPLC) AND SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION (SPE)
High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Separate, identify & quantify components dissolved in a liquid solvent with a high analytical
resolution. Sample carried by a moving gas stream of Helium or Nitrogen.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a form of column chromatography that
pumps a sample mixture or analyte in a solvent (known as the mobile phase) at high pressure
through a column with chromatographic packing material (stationary phase). The sample is
carried by a moving carrier gas stream of helium or nitrogen. HPLC has the ability to separate,
and identify compounds that are present in any sample that can be dissolved in a liquid in trace
concentrations as low as parts per trillion. Because of this versatility, HPLC is used in a variety of
industrial and scientific applications, such as pharmaceutical, environmental, forensics, and
chemicals.
Solid phase Extraction (SPE)
Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is a method of sample preparation that concentrates and purifies
analytes from solution by sorption onto a disposable solid-phase cartridge, followed by elution
of the analyte with a solvent appropriate for instrumental analysis.
HPLC
SPE
Selectivity
The selectivity (or separation)
factor (α) is the ability of the
chromatographic system to
‘chemically’ distinguish between
sample components. It is usually
measured as a ratio of the
retention (capacity) factors (k) of
the two peaks in question and can
be visualized as the distance
between the apices of the two
peaks.
The portion that passes through the
stationary phase is collected or
discarded, depending on whether it
contains the desired analyte or
undesired impurities. If the portion
retained on the stationary phase
includes the desired analyte, they can
be removed from the stationary phase
for collection in an additional step, in
which the stationary is rinsed with
appropriate eluent.
