Hyphenating countercurrent chromatography with NMR and mass spectrometry. How to enhance the range of the liquid phases

Countercurrent chromatography techniques are increasingly used in the fractionation and purification steps of natural products due to their excellent versatility and efficiency. However, one of the major bottlenecks in liquid-liquid chromatography is the solvent system selection. In this work, a NMR-based analysis of complex solvent mixtures was developed for biphasic system selection and modification. This allowed us to develop more versatile separation conditions, such as gradients. Additionally, we hyphenated our countercurrent chromatography device with NMR and mass spectrometry. Our hybrid technique afforded a time-saving approach with a significant reduction in compound handling, an asset in working with minor and/or sensitive compounds. Current results and further developments will be presented and discussed.