What Are the Differences Between High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ion Chromatography (IC)
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ion Chromatography (IC) are both widely used analytical instruments; however, they differ in their underlying principles, applications, and column materials.
Principles
1. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
HPLC operates based on the equilibrium distribution of different compounds between the stationary phase and the mobile phase. Various modes of HPLC are available, including normal-phase liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC), reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and ion-pair liquid chromatography (IP-HPLC).
2. Ion Chromatography
IC is a chromatographic technique specifically designed for the analysis of ionic substances, mainly applied to the separation and quantification of cations and anions. Its principle relies on the ion-exchange reactions occurring in the ion-exchange column, whereby ions are separated through adsorption and desorption processes.
Applications
1. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
HPLC is applicable to the separation and quantitative analysis of a wide range of compounds, including pharmaceuticals, biomacromolecules, organic compounds, and natural products.
2. Ion Chromatography
IC is primarily used for the analysis of ionic substances, such as cations and anions in environmental water samples, mineral elements in food, and electrolytes in biological samples.
Column Materials
1. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
The column materials used in HPLC typically consist of silica gel or polymer substrates coated with various functional groups, such as C18 and C8, which enable different modes of liquid chromatographic separation.
2. Ion Chromatography
The column materials used in IC are predominantly ion-exchange resins, including cation-exchange and anion-exchange columns, which facilitate the separation of ionic substances.
HPLC and IC exhibit distinct differences in principles, applications, and column materials. HPLC is primarily employed for the separation and quantification of a broad spectrum of compounds, whereas IC is specifically designed for the analysis of ionic substances. In practical applications, the selection of an appropriate chromatographic instrument depends on the sample type and analytical objectives.
MtoZ Biolabs, an integrated chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS) services provider.
Related Services
How to order?
