Feasibility of enhancing high-performance liquid chromatography using microwave radiation.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the most versatile of the chromatographic techniques because it is applicable to a wide variety of analytes. Unfortunately, liquid mobile phases have relatively low diffusivities. A novel approach is presented for increasing the diffusivity of a liquid mobile phase. The method advocated in this study is the first process that has been described by which it is possible to increase the diffusivity of a liquid while having essentially no effect on other physical properties of the liquid, such as the temperature or solvating power. It is demonstrated that it is possible to sharpen peaks, in an HPLC separation, by the application of microwave radiation.