Single- and multi-channel detection for generalized quantitative analysis in cases of unresolved chromatographic peaks

Computerized quantification of components under overlapping chromatographic peaks is done by calibration of chromatograms against component mixtures. For conventional (single-channel) detectors, the limitations of earlier methods based on ordinary multiple regression, can be circumvented by data reduction with the aid of principal component analysis with the partial least-squares approach. Simulation studies show that the method can be applied even when there is severe peak overlap, unstable baseline, noisy chromatograms or non-linear detector response. Advantages in the quantification of fused peaks by means of multichannel detectors are outlined. Present limitations on the quantitative evaluation of several overlapping component peaks from a single spectro-chromatogram by means of the partial least-squares method combined with multiple regression on the pure component spectra, are discussed with respect to practical high-performance liquid chromatography.