In its initial guise, the technique of ion chromatography (IC) was considered to encompass the separation and quantification of low molecular weight ions by high-performance ion-exchange chromatography. In the early days, the analytes separated by IC were typically inorganic anions and cations, but nowadays IC is used for the separation of a much wider range of species, such as organic acids and bases, amino acids, carbohydrates, etc. Despite this, most chemists still see IC as a method primarily for the determination of inorganic anions and it is for this analysis that IC is used most frequently. Common application areas include environmental analysis, clinical analysis, and industrial analysis, just to mention a few.
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