The Current Status and Future of Two- and Multidimensional Liquid Chromatography in Pharmaceutical R&D and QC

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) has recently seen major developments and attracted significant interest. The limited resolving power and insufficient chromatographic selectivity of conventional one-dimensional liquid chromatography (1D-LC) for more complex pharmaceutical products, alongside the introduction of modern commercial 2D-LC instruments means the technique is no longer considered a purely academic or specialist research tool. 2D-LC is now viewed as a powerful technique in the “analytical toolbox” and is being widely adopted in the analysis of both small molecules and more complex molecules, specifically biopharmaceuticals. This article will discuss the benefits of 2D-LC and multiple application areas in (bio)pharmaceutical analysis, and will highlight the challenges and future outlook.