Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) replaces chlorinated solvents for chinese traditional medicine compound purification!

Dichloromethane (DCM) and other chlorinated solvents are commonly used for chromatography because of their polarity, aprotic structure, and low boiling point. However, these solvents are considered hazardous, with their usage in the United States and elsewhere becoming restricted [ 1 ]. There has been much work to replace chlorinated solvents for chromatography, but because none are a drop-in replacement, several combinations of solvent need to be tested using thin layer chromatography plates to find the best combination of solvents. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is a viable replacement for chromatography using chlorinated solvents. Although carbon dioxide is non-polar, it is polarizable and miscible with alcohols. Method development for SFC is very easy using scouting gradients. Most compounds only need methanol as a co-solvent, making method development easier. Model compounds that were purified with liquid chromatography with dichloromethane and substituted mobile phases are run with SFC; examples of Chinese traditional Medicine compounds purified with chlorinated solvents are shown with SFC. In all cases, no chlorinated solvents were needed for SFC. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany