Tadeusz Gorecki , University of Waterloo, Department of Chemistry, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON, CA, N2L 3G1 | Rob Synovec | Philip Marriott

Conventional chromatographic techniques are very powerful, yet some samples are simply too complex to be effectively analyzed by them. Analyses of very complex mixtures are performed in many areas, including petroleum industry, where characterization of petroleum products is of critical importance; the forensic sector, striving to improve pattern recognition within complex matrices; as well as food and fragrance, environmental and health sectors, where trace analysis of target analytes in complex matrices is required together with the ability to characterize unknown samples. Complete separation of all sample components based on a single separation mechanism is practically impossible in the above examples. This has been the thrust behind the development of comprehensive multidimensional separation techniques, which many consider the greatest accomplishment in chromatography in many years. GC×GC is now generally considered to be the most powerful technique ever developed for the separation of volatile analytes. LC×LC is not yet as mature as GC×GC, but the number of contributions devoted to this technique is growing rapidly. The symposium will be devoted to all aspects of comprehensive multidimensional separations, with presentations by the leading experts in their fields. The focus will be mostly on GCxGC and LC×LC, with other topics possible (e.g. GCxLC).