16th Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop Guidebook

Significance of the Topic

Multidimensional chromatography has emerged as a critical tool in analytical chemistry for resolving highly complex mixtures that cannot be separated by conventional one‐dimensional techniques. By combining two or more separation mechanisms—such as orthogonal stationary phases or differing mobile phase conditions—researchers achieve unparalleled resolving power, enhanced sensitivity and richer chemical information. This approach underpins advances in fields ranging from proteomics and metabolomics to environmental monitoring, food safety and forensic science.

Objectives and Workshop Overview

The 16th Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop, held February 3–5, 2025 at Liège University in Belgium, convened leading experts, early‐career scientists, instrument vendors and educators to:

• Share cutting‐edge methodological developments in GC×GC, LC×LC, SFC×SFC and three‐dimensional separations.
• Explore novel hyphenations with mass spectrometry, ion mobility spectrometry and high‐resolution detectors.
• Discuss data processing strategies, quality control standards and green chemistry integration.
• Foster training and pedagogical approaches for teaching complex chromatographic methods at different career stages.

Instrumentation Used

Key instrumentation platforms featured at the workshop included:

• Comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography with time‐of‐flight MS (GC×GC‐TOFMS)
• Two‐dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to high‐resolution MS (LC×LC‐HRMS)
• Supercritical fluid chromatography in heart‐cut and full comprehensive modes (SFC×SFC)
• Ion mobility spectrometry and soft ionization mass analyzers
• Flame ionization detectors (FID) for fatty acid methyl ester analysis
• Vacuum‐assisted headspace SPME (VAC‐HS‐SPME)
• Microcolumn and capillary interface designs for 3D separations
• Pyrolysis modules for thermal desorption and sample introduction

Key Themes and Discussions

The workshop program encompassed invited keynote lectures, oral presentations and flash talks. Major themes included:

• Proteomics separations: development of spatial three‐dimensional liquid‐phase workflows.
• Chiral and isomeric analysis: achiral×chiral LC×LC for bioscience applications.
• Food, fragrance and environmental screening: PFAS, volatile profiling of honey, dairy and packaging impacts.
• Forensic scent and olfactronics: non‐contact scent collection and human scent signature analysis.
• Metabolomics and exposomics: non‐target workflows for complex biological and environmental matrices.
• Data science and processing: advanced algorithms, pixel‐based analysis and AI‐assisted pattern recognition.
• Educational strategies and green chemistry: training diverse audiences and transitioning workflows toward sustainability.

Contributions and Practical Applications

Participants presented innovative sample preparation approaches—ranging from microwave‐assisted extraction and derivatization to headspace SPME—that streamline workflows for fatty acid, phenolic and polyaromatic compound quantification. The integration of high‐resolution mass spectrometry with two‐dimensional separations enabled detailed profiling of complex mixtures in food matrices, hospital wastewater and pyrolysis oils. Forensic applications included body odor analysis, accelerated aging of explosives and human scent signatures. The workshop also highlighted standardized quality control materials, such as the Century Mix for untargeted metabolomics.

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging directions identified during guided discussions include:

• Expansion of three‐ and four‐dimensional separation platforms for unmatched resolution.
• Deep learning and AI‐driven data interpretation to accelerate non‐target screening.
• Green chromatography: development of sustainable mobile phases and energy‐efficient instrumentation.
• Virtual and augmented reality tools for immersive chromatogram visualization and training.
• Broader adoption of miniaturized inter‐dimensional interfaces to reduce sample and solvent consumption.

Conclusion

The 2025 Liège workshop underscored the vitality of multidimensional chromatography in addressing analytical challenges across disciplines. By fostering collaboration among instrument developers, data scientists and end‐users, the event charted a path toward more powerful, sustainable and accessible separation technologies. Continued innovation in hardware, data processing and training will drive the next generation of breakthroughs in chemical analysis.

Reference

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