Shimadzu Semi-Preparative Supercritical Fluid Chromatography System - Nexera UC Prep

Significance of the Topic

Preparative supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is increasingly valued in analytical and process chemistry for its high throughput, reduced solvent use and enhanced resolution, especially in chiral separations and purification of natural products and pharmaceuticals. Supercritical CO2 offers low viscosity, high diffusivity and tunable polarity with organic modifiers, enabling faster analysis times and efficient post-run processing. Integrating preparative SFC into existing laboratory workflows addresses growing demands for high-purity isolations with minimal labor and environmental impact.

Objectives and Study Overview

This whitepaper introduces the Nexera UC Prep system, designed to enhance preparative SFC performance by combining high recovery rates, flexible configurations and a compact footprint. Key aims include:

• Achieving superior sample recovery even for volatile compounds
• Streamlining preparative workflows through intuitive software and on-the-fly method adjustments
• Supporting a wide range of scales from analytical scouting to gram-level isolation
• Minimizing installation space and operating costs without external chillers

Methodology and Instrumentation

The Nexera UC Prep platform comprises:

• CO2 solvent delivery unit with parallel double-plunger reciprocating pumps delivering 0–150 mL/min at up to 44 MPa
• Compressor-type CO2 cooling unit eliminating the need for an external chiller
• Back-pressure regulator and heat exchanger maintaining precise temperature and pressure during the phase transition
• LotusStream™ gas-liquid separator to prevent eluate scattering and enhance recovery
• Fraction collectors: FRS-40 for stacked injection up to 20 mL and ten fractions; FRC-40 SF for multi-fraction collection up to 540 fractions
• Prep Solution software supporting analytical scouting, simulation, stacked injection and real-time parameter adjustments
• Shim-pack UC series columns (diol, silica, chiral and mixed-mode) for method development and seamless scale-up

Main Results and Discussion

Comparative performance tests demonstrate:

• Analysis times reduced to one-quarter of typical HPLC runs due to low backpressure at high flow rates
• Linalool recovery increased from 78.0% with a conventional separator to 96.7% using the patented LotusStream design
• Stacked injection mode enables nine consecutive injections in the time normally required for three, tripling throughput
• Chiral separations, such as warfarin enantiomers and trans-stilbene oxide isomers, achieved >90% recovery with high resolution
• Post-run concentration times shortened by eliminating water content, as only organic modifiers remain in fractions
• Method scouting and scale-up from 4.6 mm to 20 mm I.D. columns maintained separation quality while increasing sample load from 20 mg to 500 mg per injection

Benefits and Practical Applications

The Nexera UC Prep system offers:

• High sample recovery and reproducibility across diverse compound classes (lipids, peptides, natural products, chiral drugs)
• Reduced solvent consumption and faster turnaround in purification and fractionation tasks
• Flexible system configurations (stacked fraction, multi-fraction, analytical fraction) adaptable to throughput needs
• Compact benchtop footprint with integrated cooling, freeing up laboratory space
• Intuitive software reducing training requirements and minimizing human error during preparative runs

Future Trends and Possibilities for Use

Advances poised to further enhance preparative SFC include:

• Integration of mass spectrometry-based triggers for selective fraction collection of low-UV compounds
• Automated method optimization and AI-driven column scouting to accelerate development
• Expansion of stationary phase chemistries for challenging isomeric and polar analytes
• Continuous flow and microfluidic fractionation platforms for high-throughput processing
• Green chemistry improvements, including reduced energy consumption and recyclability of CO2

Conclusion

The Nexera UC Prep system represents a significant advancement in preparative SFC technology, delivering faster analysis, higher recovery and streamlined workflows in a compact format. Its flexible configurations and powerful software support laboratories in pharmaceutical, natural product, and industrial applications, promoting efficient purification with minimal environmental impact.

References

No external literature references were cited in the source document.