What is high performance liquid chromatography?

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an analytical technique used to separate, identify, and quantify components in a liquid mixture. It works by pumping a sample mixture in a solvent (mobile phase) through a column packed with a solid adsorbent material (stationary phase). Each component interacts differently with the stationary phase, causing different flow rates for the various components and leading to the separation of the components as they elute from the column. HPLC is widely used in pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring, food chemistry, and various other fields.