What is liquid chromatography?

Liquid chromatography (LC) is an analytical chemistry technique used to separate, identify, and quantify the components of a liquid mixture. The sample is dissolved in a mobile phase (a liquid) and forced through a stationary phase (a solid or a liquid supported on a solid). Components of the mixture interact differently with the stationary phase, causing them to elute at different times, allowing for separation and analysis. LC is widely used in pharmaceuticals, food chemistry, environmental monitoring, and various other fields.