Liquid-Liquid Chromatography Instrumentation for Laboratory Preparative & Process Chemistry

Liquid-Liquid Chromatography (L-LC) Instrumentation, also referred to as Counter Current Chromatography (CCC, HSCCC, HPCCC), and Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC), designs have existed for 60

years. Solid-Liquid Chromatography (S-LC) techniques include Open Tubular, Flash, MPLC and HPLC also have an extensive history. For the vast majority of applications both L-LC and S-LC have a stationary and a mobile phase. With S-LC the stationary phase is often a liquid, immobilised by bonding onto a solid phase. In L-LC over 99.9% of published applications have one liquid phase stationary, with immobilisation of the

stationary liquid phase by the instrument’s design operating procedures. S-LC and L-LC therefore have many fundamental similarities. Discussed here are the similarities/differences and significant inter-compatibilities

of L-LC and S-LC.

INTRODUCTION

The use of CCC nomenclature has lead to many decades of confusion in the mode of operation. Non L-LC chromatographers consider a ‘Counter Current’ mode would involve two liquids moving in different directions. With L-LC/CCC despite the fact they can be used with liquids moving in two opposing directions, in reality for 99.9+% of usage, one phase is stationary and one phase is mobile. The International CCC Committee recently redefined CCC/HSCCC/HPCCC as hydrodynamic CCC and sun/droplet CPC as hydrostatic CCC whilst acknowledging all were Centrifugal Partition Chromatographs (CPC). Maybe this does not resolve the fundamental

historic nomenclature confusions? Therefore in this publication, this science is referred to predominately as L-LC, rather than CCC or CPC. Planetary CCC, HSCCC and HPCCC will be described as hydrodynamic L-LC and sun or droplet CPC as hydrostatic L-LC