Zhang Yukui: Research on Chromatographic Progress in China

On October 8, 2011, the 2nd Dalian International Chromatography Academic Report Conference was held as scheduled. Hundreds of industry experts from home and abroad have made wonderful academic reports.

At this conference, academician Zhang Yukui of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences gave an academic report titled "Advance of chromatography research in China".

In the report, Academician Zhang Yukui mainly introduced the chromatographic progress in China in recent years. According to the characteristics of analytical chemistry and the development trend of international frontier research fields, combined with the needs of major national applications, the separation and analysis of chromatograms is the starting point. They are respectively elaborated in the fields of life sciences, natural products, and environmental sciences.

In the aspect of efficient enrichment and separation of new materials, surface-imprinted polymeric microspheres of pig serum albumin with uniform particle size were prepared by using a graded blotting method, and selective enrichment of human serum albumin in plasma of template analogs was realized.

In the microscale bioseparation analysis, in order to improve the stability and sensitivity of the combination of capillary liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in proteome analysis, a needle-integrated particle-packed column (IMFPC column) with an organic bulk material as a plunger has been developed. Combining the separation ability of the packed column and the advantage that the electrospray tip of the organic whole material is not easy to be blocked and the electrospray efficiency is high, it is applied to the separation and analysis of large-scale protein enzymolysis samples. In addition, an immobilized enzyme reactor based on a microfluidic chip and a combination with nanoscale liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were developed.

In the aspect of multidimensional chromatography, a number of multidimensional chromatography platforms including online normal phase chromatography, reversed phase chromatography, off-line hydrophilic chromatography, and reversed phase chromatography were constructed.

In terms of innovative instruments and devices, a 12-channel rapid drug screening instrument, a protein analysis and identification instrument, an on-line atmospheric sample collection-enrichment-thermo desorption-chromatography unit, a cone-shaped preparative column technology, and a small hydrogen flame were developed. Innovative instruments or components such as ionization detectors and surface thermal ionization detectors significantly increase the ability to analyze complex samples.

In addition, it also addresses the major needs of the country for population health, environmental resources, and other areas, and applies the above-mentioned new materials, new technologies, new methods, and new devices to fields such as proteomics, metabolomics, Chinese medicine, and natural products. The analysis of complex systems significantly improves the separation ability, detection sensitivity, and throughput of the sample.