HPLC Detectors, Their Types and Use: A Review

Abstract

HPLC is one of the most powerful techniques for separation and quantitative determination of the constituents in a mixture. It works on the principle of Affinity chromatography having two phases viz: stationary and mobile phase. The constituent with lower affinity for stationary phase travels faster and vice-versa. A detector in HPLC is placed at the end of the system. Its work is to analyse the solution which is eluting from the column. Detectors are broadly classified into two groups: Bulk property detectors and solute property detectors. Bulk property detectors (Nonselective detectors) are those that measure the changes in solute and mobile phase in combination. Such detectors show fluctuation in reading seven with slight change in mobile phase combination. Solute property detectors are also called as selective detectors because they give response for a particular physical or chemical property of the analyte, being ideally independent of the mobile phase. Other than that there are numerous newer developments made in detectors for more accurate determination. The present paper is meant on to focus on different detectors used in HPLC, there area of utilisation and the advancement made in recent time.