Agilent introduces supercritical fluid chromatography system

Published: 5-Mar-2010

Agilent\'s 1200 Series analytical SFC system delivers a tenfold increase in sensitivity.


Agilent Technologies has introduced the Agilent 1200 Series analytical supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) system, which combines the 1200 Series rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) system with the Aurora SFC Fusion A5 into a complete SFC system. Aurora SFC Systems and Agilent Technologies have signed an oem agreement under which Agilent will sell and support the combined system.

Agilent says the 1200 Series analytical SFC system delivers a tenfold increase in sensitivity compared with existing SFC solutions. This is achieved by combining Aurora SFC Fusion A5 and Agilent solvent delivery systems to deliver carbon dioxide flow with the same pulseless precision as that achieved for water and organic solvent. A dynamic range greater than 20,000 allows researchers to measure enantiomeric excess and quantify impurities that are 0.05% of the main peak. Carbon dioxide-based mobile phase diffusion rates enable high-resolution and ultrafast separations at moderate operating pressures, using conventional size columns.

The company says its 1200 Series analytical SFC system costs from one-tenth to one-fifteenth of existing systems to operate because it uses standard-grade carbon dioxide instead of the more expensive liquid SFC grade carbon dioxide.

"SFC can be three to five times faster than HPLC; it's an ideal match for small drug-like molecules; and it should be the method of choice for chiral separations," said Terry Berger, founder and chief scientist of Aurora SFC Systems.

"SFC can now be considered a seamless extension of HPLC," added Stefan Schuette, senior marketing director at Agilent's Liquid Chromatography Business.

SFC is similar to normal phase HPLC, but most of the mobile phase is replaced by liquid carbon dioxide. Much higher flow rates are achieved with proportional increases in numbers of samples that can be run per shift, and associated cost savings.

The Agilent 1200 Series Analytical SFC System may be ordered from April.

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