Automated Post-Column Sample Manipulation Prior to Detection in Liquid Chromatography: A Review of Pharmaceutical and Bioanalytical Applications

Automated post-column sample manipulation is undoubtedly one of the most challenging approaches in liquid chromatography for the improvement of method selectivity and sensitivity. With the post-column analyte derivatization being the most-abundant approach approach of this category, other strategies typically comprise post-column infusion of internal standard or other reagents prior to mass spectrometric detection to enhance the ionization efficiency of the analyte or to compensate the ion suppression/enhancement. In this review, on-line post column methodologies focused on the quality control of pharmaceuticals and biomedical applications will be presented and discussed. Emphasis will be given on the automation capabilities of such systems.