HPLC, operating guides

The following operating guides are recommended for connecting HPLC columns ... 

Most importantly, this book was written as an updated reference guide for busy laboratory analysts and researchers. Topics covered include HPLC operation, method development, maintenance/troubleshooting, and regulatory aspects. This book can serve as a supplementary text for students pursuing a career in analytical chemistry. A reader with a science degree and a basic understanding of chemistry is assumed. 

Guides for troubleshooting HPLC instrumentation provide analysts and laboratory technicians with a readily available, very useful aid for solving operational problems of equipment and techniques. In order that the chromatographer effectively solves an arising problem in HPLC, he/she should be aware of the role of operating parameters, as these are indicators of system performance. Step-by-step troubleshooting protocols for each system component should be followed to isolate the problem and its cause. 

This article covers problem identification and procedures for solving them, as well as practices to maintain HPLC systems in good operating condition. It also guides users of HPLC equipment to investigate the source of a malfunction through each system component, from sample preparation to detection and integration. 

For the HPLC-MS systems, many different ionization techniques have been described in the past. Various interface, ionization methods, and operating techniques applicable to LC-MS are discussed in [117J for instance Thermospray, particle beam, electrospray (ES), field desorption (FD), fast atom bombardment (FAB), time of flight (TOF), etc. The electrospray technique produces a soft ionization for thermally labile compounds, while FAB has the advantage that higher molecular mass samples can be introduced into the mass spectrometer. Table 8 offers a rough guide to the applicability of various LC-MS interfaces. For more detailed information on LC-MS, see [118]. 

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