APPLICATIONS OF SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION IN MULTIDIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS

Sample preparation by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has recently been demonstrated to have many advantages compared to traditional methods. This article contains a review of applications where SFE has been connected on-line to chromatography. Examples of instruments and interfaces have been included and the main parameters responsible for the quality of the analytical data are discussed briefly. Off-line extractions are not included, except as a part of robotic systems. The applications include hydrocarbons in various matrices, polymer additives, pesticides and chlorinated compounds in environmental samples, natural products and drugs and miscellaneous applications. The major benefits of SFE in multidimensional systems are improved selectivities, reduced extraction times and the reduced number of sample handling steps which can be obtained by highly automated procedures.