Categories
Monoliths

Remotely detected NMR and hypercrosslinked monoliths

During the time I spent in Berkeley I had the honor to work on the beginning of the project leading to the portable system for highly sensitive multi-dimensional chemical analysis. This work included hyphenation of NMR with liquid chromatography separation using organic polymer monoliths.

Categories
General

How do you define chromatography?

Before the last CASSS Discussion group debate on difference between high temperature and high pressure liquid chromatography started, there was a welcome slide projected on the wall. There was only one sentece (paraphrase):

Meet other people who like and understand what you do

I highlighted the most important part (for me), because I have always problems to explain what I am doing. I would like to ask you all for your thoughts.

  • How do you define chromatography?
  • Do you have problems to interpret chromatography to other people who don’t understand the chemistry at all?
How do you define chromatography?
How do you define chromatography?

In my case, I am always trying to use words as analysing what is inside a sample, separation of complex mixtures, etc. On the very end (when I see that the listener has no clue at all), I am always using examples such as “when you are visiting doctors, they can determine the level of your cholesterol in a blood with chromatography” or “it can be used for a quality control of gasoline in your car”.

Usually, people just answer “ahaa”. And I know, that they still don’t know what I am talking about.

Once I have read the definition of the chromatography as a running race. On the beginning there is a group of a runners and as time flows (mobile phase?;) the group is separated to a groups of the runners with a same speed (retention). On the end of the run, the winner is a non retained compound and the others are individual parts of the mixture. I am not using this expression often, though. But maybe I will.

At the end of the day – as the saying goes – if I am not able to explain what I am doing to my grandparents, then I dont know what I do.

What are your experience and expressions how to define chromatographic separations?

Your comments and suggestions are more than welcome.

PS: if you are looking for a book which might introduce you in the field of liquid chromatography I strongly recommend Introduction to Modern Liquid Chromatography by Snyder, Kirkland and Dolan. And you might get it also for your Kindle ;-)

Categories
Troubleshooting

WebEx. The future of instrumental services?

Online communicationI had to solve connection problem in between the Bruker MS and Agilent LC (Agilent shutdown). On the very end, I found out there was no problem in their mutual communication. However, it shows me the future of the instrumental services. WebEx communication.

Categories
General

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Happy New Chromatographic Year
Happy New Chromatographic Year

Not only from the chromatographic point of view, I wish you in the year 2010:

Categories
Chromatography

Inverse size-exclusion chromatography

Calibration curve in inverse size-exclusion chromatography (Ve/Vc - elution volume of the polymer divided by the volume of the column, log Mr - logarithm of (polystyrene) molar mass)
Calibration curve in inverse size-exclusion chromatography (Ve/Vc - elution volume of the polymer divided by the volume of the column, log Mr - logarithm of (polystyrene) molar mass)

The inverse application of the size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) concept, inverse size-exclusion chromatography (ISEC) [1], utilizes a set of molecular probes with defined sizes to determine pore dimensions, and is also referred asĀ chromatographic porosimetry [2].