44th International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography and 21st GCxGC Symposium Program

Importance of the topic

The RIVA 2026 joint meeting (44th International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography and 21st GC×GC Symposium) synthesizes contemporary advances in separation science with strong practical relevance for analytical laboratories across environmental monitoring, food and flavor analysis, petrochemical and energy sectors, biomedical research, and forensic science. The program highlights how multidimensional separations, capillary and nano‑scale chromatography, greener sample preparation and carrier gases, novel detectors, and machine‑assisted data processing are converging to resolve ever more complex chemical mixtures with higher throughput, lower environmental impact, and improved trace‑level sensitivity.

Objectives and overview of the meeting

The meeting brings together academic, industrial and regulatory stakeholders to:

• Showcase advances and best practices in capillary GC, comprehensive two‑dimensional GC (GC×GC), and capillary LC/LC×LC.
• Demonstrate instrumentation and method development for complex matrices including environmental samples, foods, fuels, and biological matrices.
• Promote sustainable analytical workflows: reduced solvent use, alternative carrier gases, miniaturized sample preparation, and greener chromatographic solvents.
• Encourage adoption of advanced detection (HRMS, VUV, TOF, Orbitrap) and data‑driven interpretation including AI and computer vision for chromatographic data.
• Facilitate training through short courses (introductory and advanced GC×GC and LC×LC) and vendor seminars.

Methodology and used instrumentation

The program spans methodological themes rather than reporting a single experimental study; recurring tools and methodological approaches include:

• Separation platforms: comprehensive GC×GC (thermal, flow and flow‑modulated systems), GC‑FID, GC‑MS (quadrupole, triple quadrupole, TOF, QTOF), GC‑HRMS/Orbitrap, LC×LC, capillary and nano‑LC, SFC, and hyphenated LC‑GC systems.
• Detectors and ionization: time‑of‑flight MS, high‑resolution Orbitrap and Q‑TOF MS, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) detectors, flame ionization (FID), elemental/combustion MS options, atmospheric‑pressure GC ionization (APGC/APCI), dielectric barrier discharge soft ionization, and ICP‑MS for trace elements.
• Sample preparation and front‑end techniques: headspace SPME (and SPME‑Arrow), stir‑bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), thermal desorption, QuEChERS and on‑line SPE, microextraction in pipette tips, dispersive SPE, electromembrane and automated online extraction, and solvent‑reduction approaches (green solvents, deep eutectic solvents, supercritical fluid extraction).
• Miniaturization and portability: capillary and micro‑LC columns, hand‑portable capillary LC devices, microfluidic and modular chip technologies, silicon microvalve modulators for GC×GC, and portable GC systems for in‑field VOC monitoring.
• Modulation and interfaces: cryogenic and flow modulators for GC×GC, reverse fill/flush differential flow modulators, cryogenic zone compression, and nano/micro valve modulation enabling heart‑cut and comprehensive workflows.
• Data handling: tile‑based Fisher ratio screening, pixel‑based prioritization, computer vision/augmented reality visualization, machine learning and explainable models for aroma and quality prediction, and workflows for non‑targeted suspect screening.

Main themes, results and discussion

Across plenaries, award lectures and focused sessions, several cross‑cutting messages emerged:

• Multidimensional separations remain the most effective route to resolve complex, isomer‑rich matrices (petroleum fractions, pyrolysis oils, food volatiles, environmental contaminants). Innovations in modulators and flow management improve speed, sensitivity and detector compatibility.
• Detector complementarity (e.g., parallel TOFMS, FID and VUV) and advanced ionization expand identification certainty, help speciate heteroatom‑containing compounds, and reduce false positives in non‑target screening.
• Sustainability is now central: replacing helium with hydrogen or nitrogen carriers, low‑solvent LC and microextraction techniques, SFC and greener mobile phases are actively evaluated and validated for routine use.
• Miniaturization and portability enable on‑site and high‑throughput analyses (capillary LC, portable GC, online automated SPE), with direct implications for faster decision‑making in environmental monitoring and quality control.
• Data analytics and AI are transitioning from proof‑of‑concept to practical tools: machine learning supports aroma–sensory links, origin classification, prioritization of non‑target features, and automated QC workflows; computer vision is being used to automate GC×GC interpretation and routine reporting.
• Standardization needs: harmonized guidance documents (e.g., MOAH/MOSH analysis) and inter‑laboratory evaluations are being developed to translate advanced techniques into regulatory and lab routine contexts.

Practical benefits and applications

The program provides many application‑oriented outcomes relevant to practice:

• Food and flavor: improved volatile fingerprinting for authenticity, shelf‑life monitoring, allergen and contaminant detection, and aroma optimization; workflows integrating GC×GC with AI for origin and quality classification.
• Environmental and regulatory analysis: sensitive PFAS workflows, non‑target screening of wastewater and house dust, fossil fuel and renewable fuel fingerprinting, and forensic applications for pollutant forensics and crime investigation.
• Petrochemical and recycling: GC×GC and VUV approaches for complex hydrocarbon speciation, quality control of sustainable fuels, and compositional analysis of pyrolysis and recycling streams.
• Biomedical research: metabolomics and volatilomics with GC×GC and HRMS for disease biomarker discovery, and capillary chromatography methods for therapeutic monitoring and trace biomolecule analysis.
• Laboratory operations: introductions of automated sample preparation, low‑maintenance injection strategies, and dual‑detector approaches that enable simultaneous quantitation and identification for routine throughput.

Used instrumentation

Instruments, platforms and vendors referenced frequently across the program include (representative list):

• GC platforms: flow‑modulated GC×GC, thermal modulators, Insight/flow modulators, PTV inlets, inert low‑bleed GC columns (5% phenyl, PEG/WAX), microvalve modulators and microfluidic modulators (Shimadzu, Agilent, LECO, JEOL, Sepsolve, LECO EATC).
• MS systems: Time‑of‑Flight (TOF) MS, Q‑TOF, Orbitrap HRMS, triple quadrupole QQQ, GC‑APCI/APGC interfaces, and GC‑combustion MS for elemental detection.
• Detectors: FID, VUV detectors for GC and a new VUV detector for LC (Hydra™), element‑selective combustion detectors, and nanogravimetric sensors for detector innovations.
• Sample preparation devices: SPME (classical and Arrow), SBSE, thermal desorption units, automated SPE systems, QuEChERS automation, dispersive MSPE in pipette tips, and novel sorbent phases (MOF coatings, nanofibers, deep eutectic solvent‑based microextraction).
• Miniaturized/portable hardware: capillary and nano‑LC columns, hand‑portable capillary LC, microfluidic chips for column packing, and modular SFC‑MS setups.
• Data software and AI tools: tile‑based and pixel‑based GC×GC analyzers, GC Image computer vision tools, and machine learning frameworks for explainable models and automated prioritization.

Future trends and potential applications

Based on the program, expected near‑term directions include:

• Wider adoption of greener workflows: hydrogen or nitrogen carrier gases, low‑solvent LC/SFC and miniaturized sample prep will be validated and standardized for routine labs.
• Integration of multidetector strategies (MS + VUV + FID) to enable rapid, robust quantification coupled with improved identification certainty for regulatory analysis.
• Stronger uptake of automated and AI‑driven data pipelines to reduce interpretation bottlenecks for GC×GC and HRMS datasets, including computer vision for routine flagging and reporting.
• Expansion of portable analytics and on‑site monitoring for environmental VOCs and agricultural/food quality, driving faster field decisions.
• Ongoing standardization and inter‑laboratory studies to enable regulatory acceptance of advanced GC×GC workflows and greener methods.
• Continued miniaturization of columns and detectors to accelerate high‑throughput bioanalysis, single‑cell and organoid profiling, and in‑situ monitoring for applied biomedical research.

Conclusion

RIVA 2026 maps a vibrant, application‑driven landscape of separation science where capability gains in multidimensional separations, detector diversity and data science combine with sustainability and miniaturization. The meeting underlines a transition from methodological innovation to scalable practice: laboratories will increasingly implement greener carriers and solvents, automated sample handling, and AI‑assisted data processing to tackle complex matrices across environmental, food, petrochemical and biomedical domains.

References

The present summary is based on the RIVA 2026 conference program and session abstracts provided in the source document (RIVA 2026: 44th ISCC & 21st GC×GC Symposium, Riva del Garda, May 17–22, 2026).