This year’s 35th International Symposium on High Performance Liquid Phase Separations and Related Techniques was held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, from June 19 to June 24. It was the third time in the meeting’s history that it was held there, but its first trip back in 20 years. The conference has become an excellent event for users and separation science enthusiasts to educate, learn and exchange ideas about overcoming today’s laboratory challenges and utilizing the latest innovative LC columns and systems. The show drew more than a thousand attendees and featured over 60 exhibitors.

The technical program featured many oral and poster presentations discussing the use of HILIC columns, superficially porous particles, sub-2 µm particle columns and UHPLC systems. As one presenter indicated, because there is more than one way of performing HPLC (adjusting pH, utilizing different solvents, stationary phases, etc.), HPLC is perhaps 90% science and 10% art. His take-home message was encouraging researchers to be more “artistic.”

The availability of new column technologies and UHPLC systems has pushed the technology closer to the mainstream. In fact, Agilent and Dionex both launched new UHPLC systems at the conference. Agilent showcased its new Infinity 1220 and 1260 systems, as well as an enhanced 1290 system. Agilent’s Infinity 1220 is an integrated system, while the 1260 features a modular design. Both have pressure ratings of up to 600 bar, which is 50% more than the 1200 series modules. Additionally, the systems feature a diode array detector with an 80 Hz data acquisition rate. The Infinity 1260 modules will be priced the same as the 1200 series modules.

Dionex also added UHPLC compatibility to all of its standard and basic automated HPLC systems, which now operate at a maximum pressure of 620 bar. The UltiMate 3000 HPLC system offers UHPLC compatibility across all modules. It covers a flow range from 20 nL/minute to 10 mL/minute and offers a wide range of pumping, sampling and detection modules.

Waters launched the ACQUITY H-Class Bio System for macromolecule analysis, which uses corrosion-resistant inert materials. It also introduced the ACQUITY CSH and XSelect HPLC columns, featuring a Charged Surface Hybrid technology. Columns are available with 1.7 µm (UPLC), 3.5 µm and 5 µm (HPLC) particles, which provide scalability from analytical to preparative applications. These new columns offer sharper peak shapes for basic compounds and faster column re-equilibration after mobile-phase pH changes.

The next HPLC conference will be held at the Budapest Congress and World Trade Center in Hungary on June 19–23, 2011, before returning to the US in 2012, when it will be held at the Anaheim Marriott in California.