ISC 2022: BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

Significance of the Topic

Modern challenges in analytical chemistry demand ever higher resolution, speed and throughput to tackle complex mixtures in pharmaceutical, environmental, petrochemical and biological applications. Multidimensional separations, miniaturized formats, novel stationary phases and AI-driven method development are pushing the boundaries of gas and liquid chromatography, as well as allied techniques such as thin-layer chromatography and capillary electrophoresis.

Objectives and Overview

The 33rd International Symposium on Chromatography (ISC 2022) convened leading experts to present advances in high-resolution separations, innovative modulation strategies, detectors, data processing and applications ranging from lipidomics and proteomics to gene therapy vectors and forensic analyses. Contributions spanned foundational theory, instrumentation design, novel chromatographic media, green and sustainable chromatographic workflows, and automation via machine learning.

Methodologies and Instrumentation

– Comprehensive GC×GC with cryogenic modulation, microfluidic switching and radial-pillar arrays for ultra-fast and high-resolution volatile analysis.
– Two-dimensional LC (LC×LC) using active modulation, heart-cutting and stationary-phase-assisted trapping (SPAM) for deep profiling of proteins, lipids, glycopeptides, synthetic polymers and oligonucleotides.
– Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) hyphenated to MS, including gradient make-up flows, for chiral separations, lipids, cannabinoids and thermolabile species.
– HPTLC-HPLC-MS and effect-directed analyses enabling bioactivity screening and non-targeted component identification on plant extracts and food supplements.
– Microfluidic preconcentration, robotic sample preparation, ultra-short UHPLC columns (<10 mm) and vacuum-jacketed seamless interfaces for enhanced MS coupling at pressures up to 2,500 bar.
– Novel detectors such as EC-QCL-IR for inline functional group monitoring, refractive index detectors in temperature-gradient LC, and advanced universal detectors for non-UV species.
– Multi-attribute retention modeling using kinetic plots, van ‘t Hoff analysis, ITP-based IEF reinterpretation and computer-aided method prediction (DryLab, machine learning platforms) for rapid, interpretive method development and robust column interchangeability.

Main Results and Discussion

– Cryogenic GC×GC methods resolved essential oils, pesticides and VOCs in seconds with plate counts exceeding 60,000 on micro-chip columns.
– LC×LC-SPAM and rapid recycling gradients achieved peak capacities >1,000 in under 2 minutes for monoclonal antibodies and digest profiling.
– UHPSFC/MS provided 90% quantitative sensitivity for pancreatic cancer lipid biomarkers, outperforming CA-19-9 for early detection.
– Heart-cut 2D-LC with dual injection samplers and ECHO peak calibration enabled rapid orthogonal profiling of small molecules and peptides with built-in quantitation controls.
– AI-guided retention models predicted gradients and column choices for chiral separations, reducing development time from weeks to hours.
– HPTLC bioautograms with high-resolution MS pinpointed enzyme inhibitors, cytotoxins and hormone-active compounds in complex botanical matrices.

Benefits and Practical Applications

– Dramatically accelerated method development and chromatographic screening workflows in R&D and QA/QC laboratories.
– Enhanced selectivity for critical clinical biomarkers, food safety contaminants, forensic drugs and environmental micropollutants.
– Improved automation for on-line extraction, digestion and reaction monitoring, enabling real-time process analytics.
– Scale-down strategies exploiting short columns, microchips and planar devices for portable, high-throughput instruments.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Innovations in additive manufacturing (3D-printed mixers and columns), advanced multimodal stationary phases, microfluidic labyrinths for gas and liquid handling, and integration of machine learning with interpretive kinetic models herald a new era of self-optimizing chromatographic platforms. Applications will extend to point-of-care diagnostics, in-field environmental monitoring, high-speed quality control in biomanufacturing and autonomous laboratory workflows.

Conclusion

The ISC 2022 showcased a vibrant spectrum of emerging chromatographic and separations science techniques. By combining novel column technologies, advanced detectors, microfluidics, and AI tools, the analytical community is poised to meet the demands of increasingly complex samples with faster, greener and more insightful methodologies.

References

Due to the breadth of contributions, detailed references for individual studies are available in the ISC 2022 Book of Abstracts (ISBN 978-615-5270-74-1).