Separation and Purification with a Liquid Stationary Phase

Abstract

Yoichiro Ito introduced countercurrent chromatography (CCC) in 1966, reporting the separation of blood plasma cells with a sealed helical tube. Since then, CCC has been a fertile ground for instrumental and technical innovation. The key innovation of CCC was to use centrifugal forces to retain the stationary liquid phase in the column in such a way that it is able to interact dynamically with the mobile phase without any solid support. The broad diversity of countercurrent separation terminology reflects the innovative spirit of the field, as well as the global appeal of this technique. The selection of the appropriate biphasic liquid system is the core of the CCC technique. The CCC columns must generate the centrifugal field needed to maintain the liquid stationary phase; therefore, they cannot be a simple tube with frits at both ends. Rotors, motor, gears, spools, and rotating seals are very specific things that are not needed in a classical liquid chromatography column with a solid stationary phase. The differences between the two main types of CCC columns are described. The bases of the CCC theory are also given.

Optimizing Chromatographic Separation with Redosing: Effects on Separation Efficiency of a Model System in Centrifugal Partition Chromatography

“…The separation is based on the different affinity of the target components to each liquid. Among others, the main advantage is that no irreversible adsorption occurs, which allows for full recovery and a high selectivity due to the many different biphasic systems that can be utilized [11][12][13]. As an example, research addresses the tetrahydrocannabinol remediation of hemp extracts utilizing LLC, optimizing biphasic solvent systems and operating parameters [14,15].…”