Analytical Chromatography

By Dr Ryan Banks

Analytical Chromatography - Dr Ryan Banks
  • Release Date: 2022-04-18
  • Genre: Chemistry

Description

The decision to write this first edition of Textbook of Analytical Chromatography has been driven by the desire to collate at least some of an increasingly diverse amount of information concerning chromatography, and is primarily concerned with High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC). It is the authors increasing observation that whilst many excellent (and often prohibitively expensive) textbooks in this field provide an in-depth theoretical description of these techniques and their variations, many of these same text books simply lack detail relevant to the end user. In particular, scientists new and inexperienced working with HPLC and/or GC (by which I mean actually being in the lab running analytical methods or developing them) are often unprepared with operating the equipment in a competent manner without extensive training. This latter point highlights in part my reasoning for writing this textbook. Most new users (and new employees) will receive training on the required equipment. However, this can range from good too poor. As larger companies increasing reduce their headcount and close sites, the number of smaller companies being contracted to pick him work loads has increased. The consequence of this here in the UK is that expertise has been lost and diluted. The diluted effect has been compounded by the ever increasing numbers of students graduating universities. One inadvertent consequence of this has been increased competition for jobs. A second and more unpleasant consequence of this is that we as scientists appear to be becoming selfish in the free sharing of our knowledge and experience to new scientists entering the market place. This is likely driven by self preservation attitudes to employment. If you're the only one that knows how to competently operate and indeed maintain an item of laboratory kit, your continued employment is more assured - or so the theory goes. Sadly, I have observed this in many companies small and large, and it seems to be becoming more common. It is a situation damaging to the whole of science and as a qualified educator I find this incredibly distasteful. Science can bring wonderful improvements to the world. Freely and actively share your knowledge and experience to the benefit of all, and all of science (and its scientists) will benefit. With regards to the sharing of knowledge, I hope that this textbook aids in that process (although for a small purchase fee!). This textbook provides only relevant theoretical knowledge sufficient to enable the end user. It also collates standard information such as mobile phase preparations, use of derivatisation agents etc and presents it in a format of quick ‘how do I do that’ without huge preamble to the ‘why’s and the wherefores'. In this respect then, the textbook hopefully also serves as a quick resource within the laboratory for the quick preparation of equipment and reagents whilst at the same time providing optional ‘in-depth discussion’ for the interested individual with sufficient time to read it.