44th International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography and 21st GCxGC Symposium Program

Importance of the topic

Comprehensive separation science (capillary gas chromatography, comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GC×GC), capillary and nano liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and miniaturized sample preparation) underpins modern analytical chemistry across environmental, food, petrochemical, biomedical and industrial applications. The RIVA 2026 meeting (44th ISCC and 21st GC×GC Symposia) gathers leaders from academia, industry and instrument vendors to present advances in column technology, modulation and detection, greener sample preparation and automated/AI-driven data workflows. This convergence is essential for improving resolution, sensitivity, throughput and sustainability in routine and research laboratories.

Objectives and overview of the meeting

• Present state-of-the-art advances in capillary separations and comprehensive multidimensional chromatography (GC×GC, LC×LC), and related sample preparation and detection technologies.
• Showcase industrial and environmental applications: petroleum/petrochemical analysis, food and flavor profiling, PFAS/trace contaminant screening, metabolomics/biomedical assays, and materials recycling/pyrolysis oil characterization.
• Provide training through dedicated short courses (GC×GC and LC×LC) and vendor seminars to accelerate method transfer and uptake.
• Celebrate lifetime and early-career achievements via a broad awards program and encourage publication of selected contributions in a Journal of Chromatography A Virtual Special Issue.

Methodology and thematic structure

The program is organized around parallel streams and focused sessions spanning fundamentals, instrumentation, applications and emerging trends. Key methodological themes included:

• Comprehensive separations: innovations in GC×GC modulation (flow-, thermal- and microvalve-based modulators), high-speed GC×GC, and translation to routine FID/MS/VUV detectors.
• Capillary and nano-LC: column miniaturization, stationary phase development, portable capillary LC and scalable 2D-LC strategies for complex mixtures and biotherapeutic separations.
• Sample preparation: greener miniaturized techniques (SPME/SPME-Arrow, stir-bar SBSE, micro-SPE, disposable and automatic workflows), and coupling with online/instrumental hyphenation.
• Hyphenated and high-resolution detection: TOF, QTOF, Orbitrap, cold EI, APGC, VUV, GC-combustion-MS, GC-CCAS, and ion mobility/SLIM for structural elucidation and isotopic analyses.
• Automation, AI and data science: machine learning for fingerprinting and classification, tile-based Fisher ratio and pixel prioritization for GC×GC datasets, automated analyte enrichment and feature extraction algorithms.
• Green and sustainable chromatography: carrier gas alternatives (nitrogen/hydrogen vs helium), low-solvent LP-GC methods, supercritical fluid extraction and SFC, and method greenness metrics.

Used instrumentation

The meeting featured a wide vendor and instrumentation presence; the program highlights and exhibitors include manufacturers and technologies relevant to capillary and multidimensional separations:

• Major GC/GC×GC and GC‑MS/TOF vendors: Agilent, JEOL, LECO, Shimadzu, Waters, Restek, GERSTEL, Markes, SepSolve, Sepsolve, LECO, VUV Analytics, Entech, LNI Swissgas, SRA Instruments.
• High-resolution MS and Orbitrap/QTOF solutions for GC and LC workflows (Orbitrap, TOF, QTOF).
• Detectors and spectroscopies: vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), flame ionization (FID), combustion/elemental MS, cold electron ionization (cold EI), atmospheric-pressure GC (APGC) ionization strategies.
• Modulation and flow-handling hardware: flow modulators, microvalve-based modulators, cryogenic focusing and zone compression strategies, and microfluidic/connectivity components for multidimensional setups.
• Sample preparation and automation platforms: SPME, SPME-Arrow, SBSE, automated SPE and online sample cleanup modules, permeation/dynamic gas generation, and thermal desorption units.

Main results and discussion (meeting highlights)

Although the program is a collection of talks and posters rather than a single experimental study, consistent highlights and conclusions emerged across sessions:

• GC×GC continues to mature from a research technology to robust workflows for industry: improvements in modulators, transferability to FID/MS dual-detection, and methods for MOAH/MOSH, petrochemical, and environmental fingerprinting were repeatedly demonstrated.
• Data science integration is critical: tile-based Fisher ratio screening, pixel prioritization, augmented/visual analytics (including augmented reality), and machine learning greatly enhance non-target screening, origin classification and biomarker discovery.
• Green analytical chemistry is driving practical changes: carrier gas substitution (hydrogen, nitrogen), low-pressure GC approaches, supercritical fluid extraction and greener LC mobile phases reduce dependency on scarce resources and solvents without compromising performance.
• Miniaturization and portability: capillary/nano‑LC, hand‑portable systems and modular microfluidics enable on-site and low‑sample workflows, widening analytical reach in environmental monitoring and point-of-need testing.
• Hyphenated high-resolution detectors (HRMS, Orbitrap, cold EI, VUV) and element-selective techniques (GC-combustion-MS, GC-CCAS) expand confidence in identification and support complex matrix analyses (PFAS, halogenated contaminants, oxidized hydrocarbons).

Benefits and practical applications of presented methods

• Improved resolution and sensitivity for complex matrices (oils, food volatiles, biological samples, pyrolysis oils) enabling better fingerprinting, authentication and contaminant profiling.
• Faster screening and routine capability: flow-modulated GC×GC, LP-GC and optimized carrier strategies make multidimensional separations more accessible to QC labs.
• Lower environmental footprint: greener sample preparation, solvent‑saving injection approaches, and SFC/SFE for extraction decrease resource use and waste.
• Regulatory and forensic utility: detailed impurity and fingerprinting strategies support PFAS screening, food contact material assessment, environmental crime investigations, and oil spill source attribution.
• Translational impact in biomedical fields: miniaturized prep and high-throughput lipidomics/metabolomics workflows support biomarker discovery and clinical monitoring with reduced sample/solvent demands.

Future trends and opportunities

• Toward routine GC×GC and multidetector fusion: operational strategies for combining FID, MS and VUV in single workflows will enable broad quantitative and qualitative characterization without sacrificing throughput.
• Seamless AI-assisted workflows: integration of robust feature extraction, prioritization algorithms and explainable ML will accelerate non-target discovery and reduce operator load.
• Greener, decentralized analysis: continued adoption of hydrogen/nitrogen carrier gases, low-pressure GC, portable capillary LC and automated low‑waste sample preparation will promote distributed testing.
• Microfluidic and modular hardware: chip-based modulators, microvalves and modular SFC/LC interfaces will simplify multidimensional coupling and expand on-site analysis capabilities.
• Standardization and harmonization: new guidance documents (e.g., on MOSH/MOAH by GC×GC) and inter-lab studies will be essential for regulatory acceptance of advanced separations.

Conclusion

RIVA 2026 presented a comprehensive snapshot of modern separation science, from fundamental column and modulator engineering to applied GC×GC and LC×LC solutions addressing pressing analytical challenges. Emphasis on sustainability, automation and data-driven interpretation marks a pathway for broader adoption of multidimensional separations in routine laboratories. The meeting also offered training, vendor engagement and a publication route via a Journal of Chromatography A Virtual Special Issue to disseminate selected advances.

Practical notes and publication opportunity

• Poster and presentation logistics: posters displayed during specified morning periods; authors available for discussion at assigned times; pins not allowed — use provided stickers.
• Manuscript submission: participants invited to submit to Journal of Chromatography A (VSI: RIVA 2026). Submission portal opens 1 May 2026; deadline 30 November 2026. Contributions will undergo regular peer review; reference to the VSI should appear in cover letters.
• Conference services: badges required for access; social events and vendor seminars scheduled to support networking and technology transfer.

Reference

No bibliographic references were listed in the program. Selected talks, vendor seminars and proceedings may form the basis of future peer-reviewed publications and the dedicated Virtual Special Issue of Journal of Chromatography A.