Unlike in thin layer chromatography, which uses a piece of chromatography paper or glass slide covered with silica gel as the stationary phase, In flash column chromatography, the chemist applies a chemical compound on top of a bed of silica gel or other material (stationary phase) loaded in a glass column. A solvent mixture (mobile phase) is poured over the sample and it is carried under pressure through the vertical column of silica gel, “eluting" the sample (separating it into its individual components.
In flash chromatography, invented by organic chemist W. Clark Still in 1978, the compound is pushed down through the column using air pressure or, more recently, using a solvent pump, to accelerate solvent flow and achieve superior chemical separations in less time and at higher resolution than traditional, gravity-based column chromatography.
The advantages of using automated flash chromatography are many. It's easy, fast, relatively inexpensive, requires minimal development time, uses less solvent and offers more exacting results. These advantages make flash one of the most popular techniques for purifying pharmaceutical intermediates, as well as final organic products. It is also widely used in natural products research.
In addition, automated flash offers green advantages over manual flash columns, as automated systems can deliver changing solvent composition more easily than in manual methods. This enables users to vary the solvent composition and increase the gradient strength throughout the run, forcing strongly retained compounds to elute off the column more quickly.
In the photo at right is a CombiFlash Torrent large scale flash chromatography instrument. The smaller cartridge on the left is loaded with the sample to be purified. The large column on the right contains silica gel (the stationary phase).
Now, let's go with the flow:
The UV signal for each component in the sample is displayed as peaks on a graph. In this instance, the highest peak is the target compound we're looking to purify and isolate. The others are impurities we want to avoid in our purified sample. Instruments from Teledyne ISCO have the computer and screen built right into the unit, saving lab space otherwise taken up by a separate system.
As the compounds are detected via UV light, the signal can then be used to trigger fractionation in test tubes using a fraction collector. Once each compound is isolated in a tube, the solvent can be evaporated, leaving only the compound itself. That isolated, purified compound can then be used for developing and manufacturing foods, pharmaceuticals, and many other things.
The CombiFlash NextGen line of systems takes the guesswork out of your purifications and increases productivity, whether you are purifying synthetic compounds, natural products, peptides, or polymers. Check out the CombiFlash EZ Prep to discover Teledyne ISCO's latest advances in chromatography, which offers Flash and Prep High-Performance Liquid Chromatography in one compact system. Learn more at CombiFlash NextGen Systems.
Automated flash chromatography systems are used in the analysis and purification of a variety of compounds – synthetic compounds, natural products, peptides, or polymers, to obtain the desired compound derivative.
Be sure to check out the other blogs in this 4 part series:
For more information on our Chromatography products, visit https://www.teledyneisco.com/chromatography or contact us