Fundamentals and Applications of Supercritical Fluid Extraction in Chromatographic Science

Abstract

The unique properties of supercritical fluids have prompted their use for a variety of applications in the field of analytical chemistry. Perhaps the most widely cited use of these compressed fluids has been in the field of chromatography, either as mobile phase eluents or as extraction solvents. This study examines the various modes in which supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) can be employed by the chromatographer. Extraction, solubilization, and fractionation conditions are predicted by the application of well-known solution thermodynamic principles. Experimental results are reported for the removal of lipid phases from natural products and the coextraction of pesticide moieties. Finally, a method of predicting the required mobile phase pressures for solubilizing and fractionating oligomeric mixtures in supercritical fluid chromatography is compared with literature data.