Evaporative light scattering detector detection cell

Detection Inlet heat exchangers Flow cell volume and geometry MS ion sources Sprayers (e.g., in evaporative light scattering detectors) Data filtering effects in high speed applications... 

Figure 4.6 Schematic of an evaporative light-scattering detector. Eluent and sample peaks enter the top of the cell and are nebulized. Solvent is evaporated away leaving particles of analyte sample peaks. A light is directed at the particles and scattered light is detected, amplified and measured.

In many HPLC detectors the column eluent flows through a cell within which some physicochemical interaction with the solutes takes place. Exceptions to this include mass spectrometric detectors where the eluent has to be vaporised before introduction into the vacuum system, or the evaporative mass detector, where again the eluent is heated and vaporised before undergoing analysis by light scattering. Often a number of flow cell options are offered by detector manufacturers, and this reflects the effect of the detection volume on the detected peak. The total peak variance, a, is the sum of all the variance contributions. 

The unique detection principle of evaporative lightscattering detectors involves nebulization of the column effluent to form an aerosol, followed by solvent vaporization in the drift tube to produce a cloud of solute droplets (or particles), and then detection of the solute droplets (or particles) in the light-scattering cell. 

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