The Role of Ultrapure Water for HPLC Analysis

In many situations where HPLC is used, the eluant must have especially high physical and chemical purity, and may not contain suspended mechanical particles or any dissolved substances that can be released by the column at a delayed time and thus generate a signal. The quality of a solvent is often decisive for the reliability of an HPLC analytical run, as the presence of trace contaminants during gradient elution can result in “ghost or phantom peaks”. Such trace substances accumulate in the column during an analytical run and are increasingly released when the eluting agent is subsequently changed.

Deionized or distilled water still contains considerable quantities of organic substances, which can cause ghost peaks. Contaminated solvents can lead to the buildup of deposits on the stationary phase and thus result in blockage of the column, which would be manifested by an increase in pressure and a shift in the running time for the samples.

Download this application note to learn about the benefits of using ultrapure water as a mobile phase for HPLC!