New, exceptionally pure mobile phase solvents for ultra-high-performance liquidchromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) instruments have been designed to reduce background signal andminimize chromatographic interferences, facilitating accurate, sensitive and rapid trace analysis.

Fisher Chemical Optima UHPLC-MS solvents are high-quality, ultra-pure and designed to address the trace analysis needs ofchromatographers performing state-of-the-art UHPLC. These new solvents are qualified for use with UHPLC/MSinstrumentation, such as the Thermo Scientific Vanquish system.

UHPLC-MS is becoming the preferred technique to LC-MS in analytical laboratories, as it enables users to performseparations substantially faster, due to the innovative sub-2 micron columns.

Submicron filtration also reduces the cloggingof instruments, columns and check valves. A typical LC-MS gradient run can take up to 60 minutes, whereas UHPLC-MS canreduce this to just five minutes, while yielding a similar resolution without compromising flow rates.

Optima UHPLC-MS solvents are ideal for detecting trace amounts of analyte by MS/MS using either gradient or direct-flowanalysis without baseline interference. Notably, Optima UHPLC-MS solvents provide a very low mass/noise level in bothpositive- and negative-mode ionization, minimal metal ion content and a low UHPLC-UV response using photo diode array detection.

“The quality of these high-purity solvents is linked directly to the sensitivity of high-end mass spectrometers, where parts-per-trillion levels of analyte can be detected by the signature product ion peaks, “ said Subhra Bhattacharya, senior productdevelopment scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

"The low signal–to-noise ratio achieved with the Optima UHPLC-MS solvents highlights the ultrahigh purity, resulting in minimal background interference" , he added.

The mission Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and approximately 50,000 employees in 50 countries is to enable customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. It helps its customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics andincrease laboratory productivity.

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