Supercritical Fluid Chromatography System (SFC Systems)

Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) systems analyse and purify low to moderate molecular weight molecules and are particularly useful for their ability to separate chiral compounds. SFC is similar to HPLC in that it relies on differences in polarity between the column (or stationary phase) and the solvent (or mobile phase) for separation, but is unique in that CO₂ is employed as the solvent in the mobile phase and thus must be pressurized. By maintaining a cold environment and particular pressure, the CO₂ can reach a supercritical state. Detection can be done in a number of ways including UV/VIS, mass spectrometry, FID and evaporative light scattering. Factors that affect the process of SFC include the flow rate, choice of co-solvent to be used alongside CO₂, column selectivity, and scalability.