Question

Which of the following HPLC detectors is used as a bulk property or general-purpose detector?

• A. Electrochemical detector
• B. Fluorescence detector
• C. UV-Visible detector
• D. Evaporative Light Scattering detector

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding HPLC Detectors - High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) detectors are used to analyze different properties of analytes based on their interaction with the detector. - HPLC detectors are generally classified into specific detectors (which detect specific properties of compounds) and bulk property detectors (which measure overall changes in the mobile phase).

Step 2: Explanation of Bulk Property Detectors - Bulk property detectors (or general-purpose detectors) respond to overall changes in the mobile phase rather than detecting specific functional groups. - Examples of bulk property detectors include: - Refractive Index (RI) Detector - Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD)

Step 3: Evaluating the Options - (A) Electrochemical Detector → Incorrect, as it measures the electrochemical activity of specific analytes. - (B) Fluorescence Detector → Incorrect, as it is a specific detector that detects compounds with fluorescent properties. - (C) UV-Visible Detector → Incorrect, as it detects compounds absorbing UV or visible light, making it a specific detector. - (D) Evaporative Light Scattering Detector → Correct, as it measures the overall light scattering effect of solute particles, making it a bulk property detector.

Step 4: Selecting the Correct Answer The Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD) is the correct answer as it is widely used as a bulk property detector in HPLC.