Ion chromatography coupled with fluorescence/UV detector: A comprehensive review of its applications in pesticides and pharmaceutical drug analysis

Ion chromatography (IC) is a well-known technique for trace determination of inorganic ions and small organic acids. Recently, it has also appeared as a promising alternative to reverse phase chromatography for the determination of polar pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs in various sample matrices. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the application of IC coupled to fluorescence (FLD) or UV detector for the determination of pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs in samples from all walks of life. Apart from advantages and limitations, a short comparison of IC-FLD/UV with other techniques especially reverse-phase chromatography was drawn to envision future research efforts in this direction. Finally, several related areas such as IC hyphenation with different detectors (spectroscopic and spectrometer), miniaturization, automation, green chemistry, mobile phase, column, sample preparation, etc., were discussed to highlight its application for the determination of a wide range of analytes in the complex sample matrix. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.

Automated summary

Ion chromatography is a well-known technique for trace determination of inorganic ions and small organic acids, and has emerged as a promising alternative for the determination of polar pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the application of IC coupled to fluorescence or UV detector for the determination of pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs in various sample matrices, as well as a comparison with other techniques and exploration of future research efforts.