How many types of detectors are available for HPLC?
UV detector, fluorescence detector, electrochemical detector, conductivity detector, refractive index detector, evaporative light scattering detector, chiral detector, radioactive detector, mass spectrometry detector (MSD). 9. How to select a suitable detector according to my application? If your compounds absorb UV light within the range above 200 nm, a UV type detector could be the best choice. It is the most robust and most widely used HPLC detector. Fluorescence detector can have 10 to 100 times better sensitivity for some compounds of large aromatic ring in the structure (such as poly aromatic hydrocarbons). Electrochemical detector is useful for compounds that can be easily electrochemically reduced or oxidized, such as phenols, aromatic amines, and some carbohydrates. It can produce better method sensitivity for such compounds than a UV detector due to better selectivity. However, as the electrodes have direct contact with column effluent and involve reaction with sample matrix,
