Innovations from Agilent - Improve your separations

Importance of the Topic

Agilent’s innovations in chromatographic and spectroscopic consumables are essential for achieving high-throughput, reliable, and cost-effective analyses in biopharmaceutical, environmental, and industrial laboratories. High-quality columns, sample preparation tools, and reference standards ensure reproducible separations, precise quantification, and robust performance under challenging conditions. By optimizing selectivity, reducing downtime, and simplifying workflows, these products support regulatory compliance and enhance overall laboratory productivity.

Objectives and Study Overview

The document presents recent Agilent product developments across liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography (GC), sample preparation, and spectroscopy. Key objectives include demonstrating improved separation efficiency, extended column lifetimes, enhanced sensitivity, and streamlined workflows for amino acid analysis, peptide mapping, spent media profiling, chiral separations, lipid removal, and spectroscopic methods.

Methodology and Instruments Used

• AdvanceBio column series (Amino Acid Analysis, Peptide Plus, MS Spent Media) based on superficially porous Poroshell particles and hybrid chemistries.
• InfinityLab Poroshell 120 HILIC-Z, HILIC-OH5, and chiral columns for polar and enantiomer separations.
• GC solutions including DB-FATWAX Ultra Inert and DB-HeavyWAX columns, ADM flow meter, and IDP-3 dry scroll pump for precise flow control and vacuum.
• Captiva Enhanced Matrix Removal—Lipid plates and cartridges for efficient phospholipid depletion via size exclusion and hydrophobic interactions.
• Agilent A-Line Vials engineered for consistent sample recovery and reduced reruns.
• Spectroscopy standards and supplies: OneNeb Series 2 nebulizer, ICH/USP 232 Impurities Kit, and LED Measuring Magnifier for cone inspection.

Main Results and Discussion

• AdvanceBio Amino Acid columns provide high-resolution separations at elevated pH and temperature, with low backpressure and a 2 µm frit to resist clogging.
• Peptide Plus columns deliver sharp, symmetrical peaks in LC/MS, maintain performance at high mass loads, and support flexible mobile phase compositions.
• MS Spent Media columns enable direct HILIC-MS analysis of amino acids and polar metabolites without derivatization, offering reproducible, fast separations.
• Poroshell 120 HILIC and chiral columns enhance polar compound retention and enantiomer resolution, tolerating high salt content and high pH up to 12.
• DB-FATWAX and DB-HeavyWAX GC columns improve fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis, extend temperature limits to 280–290 °C, and reduce run times by up to 20 %.
• Captiva EMR-Lipid removes over 99 % of phospholipids, improving analyte recovery, method sensitivity, and instrument uptime.
• OneNeb Series 2 nebulizer and ICH/USP 232 kit streamline spectroscopic workflows, lower detection limits, and simplify regulatory compliance.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Agilent consumables accelerate method development and routine analyses by reducing sample preparation steps, enhancing sensitivity, and extending instrument uptime. The optimized columns support critical quality attribute testing in biopharma, food and environmental GC applications, and regulatory spectroscopic assays. Standardized vials and lipid removal plates lower variability and operational costs.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging directions include further miniaturization of superficially porous particle technologies, integration of multimodal stationary phases, and advanced lipid removal chemistries. Developments in ultra-high-pressure LC, automated sample preparation, and AI-driven method optimization will drive faster turnaround times and broader application to complex matrices and high-throughput screening.

Conclusion

Agilent’s latest portfolio of columns, sample prep consumables, and spectroscopy supplies delivers robust, high-performance solutions across chromatography and spectroscopy. These innovations enhance separation efficiency, streamline workflows, and ensure reproducible results, empowering laboratories to meet evolving analytical challenges and regulatory requirements.