Agilent Technologies has produced an application note describing a combined approach to analytical method development and method transfer by direct emulation of different target HPLC systems. The proposed workflow presents a general approach to develop analytical methods with the need for only one parent analytical method development system.
Introduction
Today, analytical method development facilities are facing the challenge to develop LC methods for a high diversity of target systems used across different departments, or even within one analytical laboratory, because systems differ in manufacturer or LC generation. To overcome the need for a large number of method development systems, this application note presents a workflow that combines analytical method development with on-the-fly target system emulation using Agilent Intelligent System Emulation Technology (ISET). Ideally, the Agilent 1290 Infinity II Method Development Solution is used as a parent system, which develops analytical methods for different target systems without the need for manual system changes or dedicated analytical method development systems that can only address a limited number of target LCs.
The workflow described combines the Agilent ChemStation Method Scouting Wizard and ISET for direct analytical method development towards a chosen target system. It shows that analytical method development for highly different target systems such as the Agilent 1100 Series LC and Waters Acquity UPLC H-Class is possible with one hardware setup. To test the proposed workflow, a complex sample comprising 15 compounds were used, and the resulting methods were compared for equivalency on the Agilent 1290 Infinity II Method Development Solution and the chosen target system.
Results and Discussion
The initial method development campaign for the separation of a complex sample on the Agilent 1100 Series LC as the target system was done as a column, solvent, and temperature screening on the Agilent 1290 Infinity II Method Development Solution using the Method Scouting Wizard and ISET. In this screening campaign, four standard HPLC columns, two solvents (methanol and acetonitrile), and three temperatures (30, 40, and 50 °C) were used. The initial generic gradient went from 5 to 70 % organic solvent in 30 minutes.
Conclusion
Both the Agilent 1100 Series LC and Waters Acquity UPLC H-Class showed excellent correlation between the method, which was developed on the Agilent 1290 Infinity II Method Development Solution, and the target systems. The retention time deviation was typically below 2 %. The time needed for the development of the method and their evaluation on the target system typically took two days or less.
