The Chromatography Forum

of Delaware Valley

For the past thirty years, LC/GC has periodically surveyed its readership to gain a sense of the state of the field of sample preparation. Reviewing these trends uncovers the advancements that have brought us to where we are today. While not necessarily intentional, one of these trends has been the "greening" of analytical extractions. In the most recent (2023) survey, 88.6% of respondents still expressed concern over the solvents they are using. To address these concerns, analysts are using solventless or reduced solvent techniques, direct analysis, and nontraditional solvents. After discussing the trends in sample preparation over the past generation, solvent selection and nontraditional solvents, including supercritical fluids, deep eutectic solvents, and natural products, will be discussed. Finally, metrics for expressing the green characteristics of an analysis will be presented.