Ion chromatography

Ion chromatography separates dissolved ions in a liquid sample as they interact differently with an ion-exchange or related stationary phase and an eluent.

Ion-exchange chromatography: A chromatographic method that separates substances through reversible exchange with charged groups on a stationary phase. Its ion-exchange mode is the principal basis for retaining and separating ionic analytes.
Ion: An atom or molecule with a net electrical charge from losing or gaining electrons. Ion chromatography separates charged species, whose charge under solution conditions controls their interactions.
Water quality: The chemical, physical, and biological condition of water in relation to its uses and ecosystems. Ion chromatography measures dissolved anions and cations used to assess water composition.
High-performance liquid chromatography: A liquid chromatography technique that uses high-pressure pumping to pass sample through a packed column. It is a broader liquid-separation platform; ion chromatography specializes in ionic analytes and often conductivity detection.
Eluent: A fluid mobile phase that carries sample components through a chromatographic system. Its composition and flow carry ions through the column and influence their retention.
Ion exchange: A reversible exchange of ions between a solution and a material bearing fixed charged sites. This exchange is the central interaction behind retention on many ion chromatography columns.
Environmental monitoring: The systematic measurement of environmental conditions and contaminants over time or across locations. The technique provides measurements of inorganic ions in environmental waters and other samples.
Gas chromatography: A chromatographic technique that separates volatile compounds carried through a column by a gas. Its gas mobile phase and volatility requirements differ from ion chromatography's liquid-phase separation of ions.
Ion-exchange resin: An insoluble polymer bearing fixed charged groups that reversibly exchange counterions with a surrounding solution. Resin particles provide exchange sites that selectively retain sample ions.
Acid–base equilibrium: The balance between protonated and deprotonated forms of acids and bases in solution. It determines analyte charge, which can change whether and how strongly an analyte is retained.

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