Applications of the charged aerosol detector in compound management

Recent literature has described the exciting development of a new universal detection technology for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), as well as some exploratory work on its application to quantitative measurement of solutes at millimolar concentrations. The new methodology, known as charged aerosol detection (CAD), has been recognized as a viable alternative to evaporative light-scattering detection and refractive index detection that, like CAD, respond to molecular structures independently of their absorbance, or lack thereof, in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this article, the authors exemplify their use of CAD in-line with HPLC and mass spectrometry (MS) to provide both stand-alone and complementary information that aids decision making for sample storage and processing practices in the compound management setting. Illustrations include monitoring contaminants leached from different plate materials into the solvent dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and profiling the concentrations of solutions destined for liquid storage and dispensing to assays, with the aim of improving processes.