Agilent Technologies, Inc has introduced the Agilent 1200 Series Analytical SFC System. This new system combines the Agilent 1200 Series Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography system with the Aurora SFC Fusion A5. Aurora SFC Systems Inc and Agilent Technologies Inc have signed an OEM agreement under which Agilent sells and supports the combined system.

The new Agilent 1200 Series Analytical SFC System delivers breakthrough 10-fold increase in sensitivity compared to existing SFC solutions. This is achieved by combining Aurora SFC Fusion A5 and Agilent solvent delivery systems to deliver CO2 flow with the same pulseless precision as is achieved for water and organic solvent. A dynamic range greater than 10,000 allows researchers to measure enantiomeric excess and quantify impurities that are 0.01 percent of the main peak. CO2-based mobile phase diffusion rates enable high-resolution and ultrafast separations at moderate operating pressures, using conventional size columns.

In addition to the 10-fold sensitivity improvement, the Agilent 1200 Series Analytical SFC System also costs one 10th to one 15th of existing systems to operate because it uses standard grade CO2 instead of highly expensive liquid SFC grade CO2. Moreover, very low solvent consumption is environmentally friendly.

"SFC can be three to five times faster than HPLC, it's an ideal match for small drug-like molecules, and it should be the method of choice for chiral separations," said Dr. Terry Berger, founder and chief scientist of Aurora SFC Systems. "Agilent worked closely with us to bring these and many more advantages to the marketplace."

"We're very pleased to be working with Aurora to help make this exciting technology accessible to the pharmaceutical community and other scientists needing to separate trace amounts of chiral compounds and enantiomeric excess," said Stefan Schuette, Agilent senior marketing director, Liquid Chromatography Business. "SFC can now be considered a seamless extension of HPLC."

The Aurora SFC Fusion A5 connects to the Agilent 1200 RRLC System, combining the robustness, reliability, and performance of Agilent's LC technology with the enhanced speed, resolution and sensitivity of SFC separation. Installation is completely reversible, so the Agilent instrument can still be used in RRLC configuration.

SFC is similar to normal phase HPLC, but most of the mobile phase is replaced by liquid carbon dioxide. Much higher flow rates are achieved with proportional increases in numbers of samples which can be run per shift, and associated cost savings. Solvent use, including acetonitrile, is reduced dramatically.

Agilent Technologies is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 16,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries.

Aurora SFC Systems provides scientific chromatography instruments based on next-generation Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) technology.