Our high-resolution chromatography and mass spectrometry facilities
Through CChES you can access the most advanced chromatography and mass spectrometry technology, for greater insights into complex samples.
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Our high-resolution chromatography and mass spectrometry facilities
The latest instrumentation for precision insights
The University of Southampton is recognised as a leading developer of bespoke chromatography (liquid, gas and supercritical fluid) and mass spectrometry assays. In partnership with LECO, we’re also home to the latest comprehensive chromatography (2D GC-MS) instrumentation.
Working with our experts at the Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Facility, you can tap into an unrivalled range of analytical techniques for the separation, identification and quantification of compounds at very low concentrations.
- Gas chromatography (GC): is typically used for permanent gaseous, volatile organic compounds, liquids or solid materials that can be converted to gaseous species (for example through heating of the sample or pyrolysis).
- Liquid chromatography (LC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC): commonly used for small molecules, biomolecules, oligonucleotides, and synthetic polymers.
- These techniques, coupled with a range of species selective detectors (for example ESI-MS, EI-MS, DAD, FID, ECD, PFPD), enables greater insights into the profile and chemical composition of complex samples (solids, liquids and gases), through improved resolution of species that are typically difficult to differentiate.
How chromatography and mass spectrometry can support your R&D
These powerful analytical techniques can provide greater insights into your complex samples to support product development, quality control and your research, whether you’re seeking to:
- Identify unknown compounds
- Investigate impurities and contaminants
- Gain detailed chemical composition data and profile their concentrations
- Determine which species are discriminatory between different samples
Commercial research applications include determining volatile emissions from materials, drug discovery, clinical screening, petrochemicals and biofuel analysis, flavour profiling for the food and beverage industry, and environmental monitoring.
Industry-ready chromatography and mass spectrometry services
As a trusted partner to industry across a range of sectors, we understand your challenges and commercial imperatives. We’ll work with you on a bespoke package to get the results you need.
Our chromatography and mass spectrometry instruments: technical specifications
Core instrumentation
- Waters H-Class UHPLC with TQD ESI/APCI MS: Waters ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) H-Class system, with tandem quadrupole (TQD) electrospray ionisation (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI), mass spectrometer (MS)
- Waters UPC2 (SFC) with TQD ESI/APCI MS: Waters ultra-performance convergence chromatography (UPC2), using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), with tandem quadrupole (TQD) electrospray ionisation (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI), mass spectrometer (MS)
- Waters Radian ASAP: Waters Radian system that utilises atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP)
- Shimadzu GC-MS QP2020 NX (EI/CI): Shimadzu Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) QP2020 NX system, that uses Electron Ionisation (EI) and Chemical Ionisation (CI)
EPSRC South-West regional facility
- LECO Pegasus® BT 4D GC-TOFMS (EI): LECO Pegasus® BT 4D system with gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) using electron ionisation (EI)
- LECO Pegasus® HRT+ GC-TOFMS (EI): LECO Pegasus® HRT+ system with gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) using electron ionisation (EI)
- Waters I-Class UHPLC with Select Series Cyclic Ion Mobility ESI MS: Waters I-Class system, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with Select Series Cyclic Ion Mobility electrospray ionisation (ESI), mass spectrometer (MS)
- Waters I-Class UHPLC (standalone): Waters I-Class system ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), standalone
Why work with CChES?
State-of-the-art, industry-ready facilities including a one-of-a-kind electron beam diffraction service for analysis of smaller crystals and nanoparticles.
Access to the optimum techniques for your material or process – CChES hosts an unrivalled range of instruments in terms of spectral region, length scale and dynamics.
Delivered by specialists who are recognised globally for developing theory, techniques, methodologies, hardware and open-source simulation tools.
Meet our chromatography and mass spectrometry experts
Professor Geraint (Taff) Morgan
Analytical chemistry, specialising in novel assays for the quantification of volatile organic compounds in complex samples
Dr Celia Lourenco
Chromatography and mass spectrometry, with a focus on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), for clinical and environmental applications