EVOLUTE® EXPRESS 96-Well SPE Plates

Importance of the Topic

Solid phase extraction (SPE) is a cornerstone technique in analytical chemistry for isolating and concentrating analytes from complex matrices. High-throughput formats accelerate sample processing, support large-scale bioanalytical studies, and improve laboratory efficiency. The EVOLUTE EXPRESS 96-well SPE plates address critical needs in pharmaceutical, clinical and environmental laboratories by streamlining workflows and reducing manual intervention.

Goals and Study Overview

This technical note introduces the EVOLUTE EXPRESS product line and evaluates its performance in a simplified Load-Wash-Elute procedure. The primary objectives are to demonstrate the elimination of conditioning and equilibration steps, quantify time savings, and confirm that analyte recoveries and reproducibility match or exceed those obtained with conventional SPE methods.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The EVOLUTE EXPRESS plates employ water-wettable polymer-based sorbents in a 96-well format. Five chemistries are available for targeted extractions:

• ABN: mixed-mode for neutral, acidic and basic analytes
• CX: cation-exchange for basic compounds
• WCX: strong cation-exchange for strongly basic compounds
• AX: anion-exchange for acidic compounds
• WAX: strong anion-exchange for strongly acidic compounds

The procedure omits traditional conditioning and equilibration steps. Samples are loaded directly, washed to remove matrix interferences and eluted with compatible solvents. Elution volumes are minimized to as little as 200 µL, enabling direct injection into analytical instruments.

Main Results and Discussion

Processing time for a 10 mg plate is reduced by approximately one third when using the Load-Wash-Elute protocol. Conditioning and equilibration, which normally require 20 seconds or more, are eliminated. Load, wash and elution steps each occur in under 15 seconds per well. Recovery studies with plasma spiked analytes (ketoprofen, metoprolol, prednisolone) show over 80 percent recovery comparable to standard SPE. Ranitidine recovery using the CX plate reaches full extraction efficiency at 200 µL eluent volume. The optimized hardware prevents clogging and ensures uniform flow across all wells, reducing variability in automated workflows.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Significant time savings by removing conditioning and equilibration steps.
• High and consistent analyte recoveries across a range of physicochemical properties.
• Minimal elution volumes allow direct injection and eliminate evaporation/reconstitution losses.
• Reduced plate clogging and improved flow uniformity enhance reproducibility, particularly in automated platforms.

Used Instrumentation

The study utilized EVOLUTE EXPRESS 96-well SPE plates in the following formats:

• 10 mg and 30 mg ABN
• 10 mg and 30 mg CX
• 10 mg and 30 mg WCX
• 10 mg and 30 mg AX
• 10 mg and 30 mg WAX
• 10 mg and 30 mg Sorbent Selection Plate

Future Trends and Opportunities

Advances may include further miniaturization to 384-well formats, integration with robotic sample handlers and online SPE-LC/MS systems. Development of new mixed-mode sorbents tailored to emerging analyte classes and bio-pharmaceuticals will expand applicability. Data-driven method optimization tools could streamline sorbent selection and protocol design.

Conclusion

EVOLUTE EXPRESS 96-well SPE plates deliver a streamlined, high-throughput extraction workflow by eliminating conditioning and equilibration and minimizing elution volumes. The Load-Wash-Elute procedure yields fast, reproducible and high-recovery results suitable for clinical, pharmaceutical and environmental applications.