Chromatography Solvents

Chromatography is a technique for separating complex mixtures in order to purify or analyze samples such as proteins, peptides, blood components, and small molecules. The process involves a stationary phase that temporarily holds certain molecules of the mixture, which are carried along by a mobile phase—generally a liquid solvent. These chromatography solvents serve to extract, dissolve, and move the samples without permanently changing their chemical structure, making these reagents a vital component of standard separation techniques. Solvents are often used as a mixed solution in water or in combination with another solvent. Some solvents, however, are not miscible and are used as a pure reagent. Polar solvents such as water will only dissolve in other polar solvents. Common liquid solvents, such as water, methanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile and formic acid, are staple reagents in fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). For any given application, the ideal solvent or solution will depend on the type of chromatography, stationary phase, purity, and target molecules. Browse our product catalogs to find solvents listed by various manufacturers.