Metrohm has revealed that ion chromatography as an analytical technique has seen a surge in popularity.
It is both simple and robust as a method and there is great choice of columns, detectors and applications.
As for samples in a homogenous ionic form, hardly any preparation steps are required at all.
Metrohm's stopped-flow dialysis paves the way for the convenient analysis of demanding samples carrying high organic loads too.
In complex matrices carrying high organic loads such as waste water, soil eluates or dairy products, extensive sample preparation is mandatory to prevent destruction of the column.
Traditional preparation techniques such as the Carrez precipitation do not provide a satisfying answer as they are both tedious and error-prone.
Metrohm's compact stopped-flow dialysis is based on the selective diffusion of ions from one liquid (sample or donor solution) to another (acceptor solution) through a membrane.
Contrary to dynamic dialysis, where two solutions continuously pass through the dialysis module, the donor solution is temporarily stopped as soon as the concentration in the acceptor solution is the same as that in the donor solution.
This stopped-flow procedure takes between 10 and 14 minutes and can be directly coupled to an IC setup.
As the dialysis is performed during the recording of the previous sample's chromatogram, the overall analysis time is not significantly prolonged.
