Email Notifications from Your Online LC

Importance of the topic

This application note addresses the critical need for real-time remote monitoring of liquid chromatography (LC) in pharmaceutical and chemical production. By generating automatic email notifications for instrument and experimental events, laboratories can respond swiftly to system errors, reaction completions, or unexpected conditions without constant on-site supervision. This capability enhances operational safety, efficiency, and productivity.

Objectives and study overview

The primary goal is to demonstrate the setup and functionality of Agilent Online LC Monitoring Software to send automated email alerts based on defined instrument states and reaction-specific criteria. The study illustrates how remote users can track experiments, receive alerts for threshold breaches, and compare multiple reaction runs for consistency.

Methodology

The analytical method uses a binary gradient of water with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid at 1.3 mL/min, rising from 40% to 90% organic over 0.85 min, with a column temperature of 45 °C. Samples are drawn from a reactor every 4 min into a deep-well plate, diluted 1:100, and analyzed by a diode array detector at 290 nm.

Used instrumentation

• Agilent 1290 Infinity II High Speed Pump (G7120A)
• Agilent 1260 Infinity II Online Sample Manager Set with external valve (G3167AA)
• Agilent 1290 Infinity II Multicolumn Thermostat (G7116B)
• Agilent 1290 Infinity II Diode Array Detector with Max-Light Cartridge Cell (G7117B)
• Agilent 1260 Infinity II Isocratic Pump (G7110B)
• Agilent OpenLab CDS v2.6 and Agilent Online LC Monitoring Software v1.2

Main results and discussion

By defining user-specific email addresses and setting compound limit controls, the software generates real-time notifications when analyte concentrations exceed or fall below predefined bands. Example runs include:

• Successful reaction completion: email alert at final time point.
• Simulated heating malfunction: triggered notifications when p-anisaldehyde and product levels departed their trending bands.
• Replicate comparison: overlayed trending plots revealed consistent behavior in two runs and deviation in the faulty run.

Benefits and practical applications

The automated notification system minimizes manual oversight, reduces downtime, and ensures timely intervention for instrument failures or reaction anomalies. Unattended monitoring saves labor costs, improves safety, and maintains reproducibility in routine or scale-up applications.

Future trends and applications

Advances may include integration with other analytical detectors, cloud-based dashboards, AI-driven anomaly detection, and standardized alerts across multiple process analytical technology platforms. Such developments will further streamline remote process monitoring and control in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing.

Conclusion

Agilent Online LC Monitoring Software’s email notification feature provides robust, flexible control for remote LC experiments. By configuring compound limits and user alerts, laboratories can achieve unattended operation with immediate feedback on instrument status and reaction progress, ensuring efficient and reproducible workflows.

References

• Lautz C., et al. Automated Reaction Monitoring by the Agilent 1260 Infinity II Prime Online LC. Agilent Technologies Application Note 5994-3980EN, 2021.
• Naegele E., et al. Which Reaction Shows the Best Performance? Agilent Technologies Application Note 5994-5922EN, 2023.