Chapter 2 Countercurrent chromatography

Abstract

Publisher Summary Countercurrent chromatography (CCC) has a distinct feature among all chromatographic systems—in that the method utilizes no solid support matrix. CCC may be considered as a hybrid of two classical partition methods: (1) countercurrent distribution (CCD) and (2) liquid partition chromatography, and inherits all the merits from both parent methods. As in CCD, CCC is a genuine liquid partition method that can eliminate all the complications arising from the use of solid supports, such as adsorptive sample loss and deactivation, tailing of the solute peaks, and contamination. Unlike CCD, CCC uses a continuous partition process and, therefore, the separation is efficiently performed by adapting elution systems developed for liquid chromatography. The partition process in CCC takes place in an open column space where the mobile phase continuously elutes through the stationary phase, retained in the column. The retention of the stationary phase in the open column can be accomplished by a combination of the column geometry and the applied force field, either gravitational or centrifugal in nature. As a result, the existing CCC systems display a variety of mechanical designs that are different from those of other chromatographic systems.