Our research concentrates on aspects of analytical chemistry pertaining to chemical separation and identification. The main objectives are to develop sample preparation, chromatography, and detection methods for the analysis of trace organic (and organometallic) compounds present in complex environmental, biological, and industrial samples. Central themes of this research include the construction and characterization of novel chromatographic detection methods. For example, this has encompassed photometric techniques in a miniaturized format for portable GC analyses, and acoustic methods as universal sensors in LC and also SFC. Interests in sample preparation involve the development of rapid and environmentally compatible extraction methods using sub and supercritical fluids. Projects currently probing these interests involve the rapid preparation of pharmaceuticals for analysis. We also have a keen interest in the development of liquid carbon dioxide and sub-critical water mobile phases as alternatives to environmentally hazardous organic solvents conventionally used in chromatographic separations. Development is on-going in all of these areas.
