Micellar electrokinetic chromatography: current developments and future

This review highlights recent methodological and instrumental advances in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). Enhancements in sensitivity and selectivity of the technique through the use of on-line preconcentration approaches (stacking and sweeping) and nonconventional pseudostationary phases, namely nonionic and zwitterionic surfactants, mixed micelles and polymers, are discussed in detail. Laser-induced fluorescence and mass spectrometry, as alternatives to UV-absorption detection, have been covered to evaluate their advantages and limitations when applied to analysis in an MEKC format. Some thoughts on future directions in this area such as in-capillary reactions, coated capillaries and MEKC on microchips are also presented.     

Polymer blends - current state of progress and future developments from an industrial viewpoint

Technical and economic considerations have given polymer blends a major share in the increasing sales of plastics. This applies both to general-purpose and to the higher value-added materials. Thus it is scarcely surprising that almost all polymer manufacturers have now developed comprehensive ranges of blends having particular property profiles. The principal types of blends currently available are described. The variety of products already developed should not be allowed to obscure the fact that certain conceivable and highly attractive property combinations have not so far been realized. If progress is to be made in this area, interdisciplinary cooperation between chemists and physicists in the fields of polymer chemistry, polymer physics and materials science is essential.     

RNA-based therapeutics: current progress and future prospects

Recent advances of biological drugs have broadened the scope of therapeutic targets for a variety of human diseases. This holds true for dozens of RNA-based therapeutics currently under clinical investigation for diseases ranging from genetic disorders to HIV infection to various cancers. These emerging drugs, which include therapeutic ribozymes, aptamers, and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), demonstrate the unprecedented versatility of RNA. However, RNA is inherently unstable, potentially immunogenic, and typically requires a delivery vehicle for efficient transport to the targeted cells. These issues have hindered the clinical progress of some RNA-based drugs and have contributed to mixed results in clinical testing. Nevertheless, promising results from recent clinical trials suggest that these barriers may be overcome with improved synthetic delivery carriers and chemical modifications of the RNA therapeutics. This review focuses on the clinical results of siRNA, RNA aptamer, and ribozyme therapeutics and the prospects for future successes.     

Bioartificial livers (BAL): current technological aspects and future developments

Several attempts have been made to develop bioartificial support for the treatment of patients with acute or fulminant liver failure. In this paper, the authors have reviewed the technological aspects of the previously developed bioreactor devices like membrane-based devices, direct perfusion systems and entrapment-based columns. For each type, the technological requirements were first theoretically addressed and then confronted with the actual bioreactor configurations. A new bioreactor design has been proposed to enhance the performance of a bioartificial liver consisting of porcine hepatocytes entrapped in alginate beads. Finally, perspectives were drawn for the next developments of such promising bioartificial organs.     

Recent and future developments of liquid chromatography in pesticide trace analysis

Until recently, the application of liquid chromatography (LC) in pesticide analysis was usually focused on groups of compounds or single compounds for which no suitable conditions were available for analysis with gas chromatography (GC). However, recent developments in both detection and column material technology show that LC significantly enlarged its scope in this field of analysis. Obviously, the most striking example is the rather abrupt transition of LC coupled to mass spectrometric detection (MS) from an experimental and scientifically fashionable technique to a robust, sensitive and selective detection mode rendering LC-MS being increasingly used in pesticide trace analysis. Other recent major developments originate from the innovation of new LC column packing materials, viz. immuno-affinity sorbents, restricted access medium materials and molecular imprinted polymers improving considerably the screening of polar pesticides by means of reversed-phase LC with UV detection. In this review the merits and perspectives of these important LC developments and their impact to current and future applications in pesticide trace analysis are presented and discussed.     

Quality control techniques for chemical analysis: some current shortcomings and possible future developments

Current approaches to quality control in chemical analysis are examined. Issues that frequently cause problems are proposed. Future developments relating to ways in which the incidence of mistakes might be reduced are discussed as possible supplements to more well-established quality control measures.     

离子色谱技术的重要进展和我国近年的发展概况

介绍了离子色谱技术近年的几项重要进展,包括Reagent-Free离子色谱系统,简易阀切换技术,弱电离有机酸的高灵敏分析,快速分析色谱柱,与前处理技术、电感耦合等离子体质谱和氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱联用,在生物医药分析中的应用等;并概述了近年来我国离子色谱在硬件技术研发、仪器检定规范的修改、标准方法和药典修订等方面的进展。     

Small-molecule fluorescent probes for imaging gaseous signaling molecules: current progress and future implications

Endogenous gaseous signaling molecules including nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) have been demonstrated to perform significant physiological and pharmacological functions and are associated with various diseases in biological systems. In order to obtain a deeper insight into their roles and mechanisms of action, it is desirable to develop novel techniques for effectively detecting gaseous signaling molecules. Small-molecule fluorescent probes have been proven to be a powerful approach for the detection and imaging of biological messengers by virtue of their non-invasiveness, high selectivity, and real-time in situ detection capability. Based on the intrinsic properties of gaseous signaling molecules, numerous fluorescent probes have been constructed to satisfy various demands. In this perspective, we summarize the recent advances in the field of fluorescent probes for the detection of NO, CO and H₂S and illustrate the design strategies and application examples of these probes. Moreover, we also emphasize the challenges and development directions of gasotransmitter-responsive fluorescent probes, hoping to provide a general implication for future research.

This perspective article aims to introduce the design principles and recognition strategies of small-molecule fluorescent probes which are applied for the detection of gas signaling molecules including NO, CO and H₂S in biological systems.     

Droplet microfluidics: recent developments and future applications

We report recent advances in the field of droplet-based microfluidics. Specifically, we highlight the unique features of such platforms for high-throughput experimentation; describe functional components that afford complex analytical processing and report on applications in synthesis, high-throughput screening, cell biology and synthetic and systems biology. Issues including the integration of high-information content detection methods, long term droplet stability and opportunities for large scale and intelligent biological experimentation are also discussed.     

Low-pressure gas chromatography: Recent trends and developments

In the past few years, low-pressure gas chromatography (LP-GC) has been applied for the fast analysis of various pollutants in different environmental and food matrices. A typical LP-GC set-up involves the use of a short microbore column (typically 0.5–1 m × 0.10 mm internal diameter) at the injector side connected with a zero dead-volume connector to a short megabore column (typically 10 m × 0.53 mm) to be used with higher gas velocities. This set-up maintains atmospheric injection conditions, while the analytical column is operated under low-pressure conditions that are compatible with mass-spectrometer analyzers. Although the use of LP-GC results in a loss of separation efficiency, it offers a 3–5-fold reduction in analysis time for organic compounds and thus increased sample throughput and enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio leading to improved detection limits. Considering the significance of, and the potential interest in, this topic, this review briefly describes the concept of LP-GC. Furthermore, we explore recent developments and applications of LP-GC, with a focus on the use of various column systems and analyzers. Finally, we critically evaluate the prospects for, and the limitations of, LP-GC.     

Sustainable adsorptive removal of antibiotic residues by chitosan composites: An insight into current developments and future recommendations

During COVID-19 crisis, water pollution caused by pharmaceutical residuals have enormously aggravated since millions of patients worldwide are consuming tons of drugs daily. Antibiotics are the preponderance pharmaceutical pollutants in water bodies that surely cause a real threat to human life and ecosystems. The excellent characteristics of chitosan such as nontoxicity, easy functionality, biodegradability, availability in nature and the abundant hydroxyl and amine groups onto its backbone make it a promising adsorbent. Herein, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of recent published research papers regarding the removal of antibiotics by chitosan composite-based adsorbents. The structure, ionic form, optimum removal pH and λ_max of the most common antibiotics including Tetracycline, Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Levofloxacin, Ceftriaxone, Erythromycin, Norfloxacin, Ofloxacin, Doxycycline, Cefotaxime and Sulfamethoxazole were summarized. The development of chitosan composite-based adsorbents in order to enhance their adsorption capacity, reusability and validity were presented. Moreover, the adsorption mechanisms of these antibiotics were explored to provide more information about adsorbate-adsorbent interactions. Besides the dominant factors on the adsorption process including pH, dosage, coexisting ions, etc. were discussed. Moreover, conclusions and future recommendations are provided to inspire for further researches.     

Recent progress in separation prediction of counter‐current chromatography

As a liquid‐liquid partition chromatography, counter‐current chromatography has advantages in large sample loading capacity without irreversible adsorption, which has been widely applied in separation and purification fields. The main factors, including partition coefficient, two‐phase solvent systems, apparatus, and operating parameters greatly affect the separation process of counter‐current chromatography. To promote the applications of counter‐current chromatography, it is essential to develop theoretical research to master the principles of counter‐current chromatographic separations so as to achieve predictions before laborious trials. In this article, recent progress about separation prediction methods are reviewed from a point of the steady and unsteady state of the mass transfer process of counter‐current chromatography and its mass transfer characteristics, and then it is divided into three aspects: prediction of partition coefficient, modeling the thermodynamic process of counter‐current chromatography, and modeling the dynamic process of counter‐current chromatography.     

Metabolomics and metabolite profiling: past heroes and future developments

Following the sequencing of the human and other genomes, much research effort is now invested in post- genomic science, particularly in the related disciplines of proteomics and metabolomics. In this paper, we will attempt to provide an overview of mass spectrometry-based metabolomic strategies, discuss the evolution of metabolomics from its predecessor, Hmetabolite profiling", and provide some pointers to future methodological and technological direction. Current data from the authors' laboratory will also be presented, highlighting our efforts in the field of "targeted metabolomics", namely, "steroidomics in the brain".     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: benefits,trade-offs and future developments

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a vibrational spectroscopy technique with sensitivity down to the single molecule level that provides fine molecular fingerprints, allowing for direct identification of target analytes. Extensive theoretical and experimental research, together with continuous development of nanotechnology, has significantly broadened the scope of SERS and made it a hot research field in chemistry, physics, materials, biomedicine, and so on. However, SERS has not been developed into a routine analytical technique, and continuous efforts have been made to address the problems preventing its real-world application. The present minireview focuses on analyzing current and potential strategies to tackle problems and realize the SERS performance necessary for translation to practical applications.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a vibrational spectroscopy technique with sensitivity down to the single molecule level that provides fine molecular fingerprints, allowing for direct identification of target analytes.     

Atomic layer deposition chemistry: recent developments and future challenges

New materials, namely high-k (high-permittivity) dielectrics to replace SiO(2), Cu to replace Al, and barrier materials for Cu, are revolutionizing modern integrated circuits. These materials must be deposited as very thin films on structured surfaces. The self-limiting growth mechanism characteristic to atomic layer deposition (ALD) facilitates the control of film thickness at the atomic level and allows deposition on large and complex surfaces. These features make ALD a very promising technique for future integrated circuits. Recent ALD research has mainly focused on materials required in microelectronics. Chemistry, in particular the selection of suitable precursor combinations, is the key issue in ALD; many interesting results have been obtained by smart chemistry. ALD is also likely to find applications in other areas, such as magnetic recording heads, optics, demanding protective coatings, and micro-electromechanical systems, provided that cost-effective processes can be found for the materials required.     

Methodological developments in overpressured-layer chromatography

Summary Since its introduction around 1977, OPLC has found widespread application and its methodology has been further developed. A possible development is gradient elution. Different continuous development methods (e.g. with eluent changeover, multistep gradient) and the possible system configurations for their execution are discussed. The advantages of the newly developed continuous development techniques are compared to earlier data. The most versatile method is demonstrated on lipid samples derived from human plasma, giving separation of six lipid classes and intra-class separation of the most polar classes in the same run.     

Recent developments in ion chromatography

This paper summarizes how ion chromatography is now a multimode technique suitable for solving analytical problems in all areas of interest. Current and more recent applications will be overviewed within the new trends.     

Recent trends and developments in pyrolysis-gas chromatography

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC) has become well established as a simple, quick and reliable analytical technique for a range of applications including the analysis of polymeric materials. Recent developments in Py-GC technology and instrumentation include laser pyrolysis and non-discriminating pyrolysis. Progress has also been made in the detection of low-level polymer additives with the use of novel Py-GC devices. Furthermore, it has been predicted that future advances in separation technology such as the use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography will further enhance the analytical scope of Py-GC.     

Rice proteomics: current status and future perspectives

Rice, the first cereal crop genome to be decoded, has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide because of its immense socio-economic impact on human existence. With the availability of the draft genome sequence of two major types, japonica- and indica-rice, "rice proteomics" has entered into the era of functional genomics. Although during the last decade an important but limited progress (mainly construction of protein datafiles) has been made in the field of rice proteomics, it is only recently that dedicated research groups have taken this challenge to systematically analyze the rice proteome at the cell (and organelle), tissue, and whole plant level. Important gains achieved by the accelerated technological progress in protein separation and identification will help in going beyond the simple cataloguing of rice proteins in realistic terms. In this review, we discuss the progress made in the field of rice proteomics to date and dwell upon the future direction/problems/approaches towards defining the rice proteome.