Suppression has enabled ion chromatography (IC) to be established as the leading technique for analysis of strong acids and bases. However, the determination of weakly-ionized species (e.g., weak organic acids) by IC is challenging due to the low conductance of the analytes after ion suppression. Moreover, when weak acids or bases have low absorbance, other universal detection methods are required for successful analysis, but the use of non-volatile ionic eluents in IC frequently prevents this option being used.

We review different approaches to the conductivity detection of weakly-ionized analytes, with emphasis on the role of suppressors for conductivity-signal enhancement through the use of post-column ion-exchange reactions. We provide typical signal-enhancement factors for each method.

This review also focuses on the use of suppressors as eluent de-salting devices to enable coupling of IC to universal detectors (e.g., mass spectrometry), evaporative light-scattering detectors and charged-aerosol detectors.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	conductivity detection, ion chromatography, ion suppression, organic acid, post-column ion-exchange reaction, signal enhancement, suppressor, universal detection, weak acid, weakly-ionized analyte
Research Division:	Chemical Sciences
Research Group:	Analytical chemistry
Research Field:	Separation science
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences
UTAS Author:	Karu, N (Dr Naama Karu)
UTAS Author:	Dicinoski, GW (Associate Professor Gregory Dicinoski)
UTAS Author:	Haddad, PR (Professor Paul Haddad)
ID Code:	82366
Year Published:	2012
Web of Science® Times Cited:	15
Deposited By:	Austn Centre for Research in Separation Science
Deposited On:	2013-01-29
Last Modified:	2017-10-31
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