Helium Shortages in the Chemistry Lab: Compound Characterization Using Helium-Free Techniques

Helium shortages are not new – annually, scientists see the cost of helium rise and fall like the stock market. Except this isn’t just a financial impact. Global helium shortages threaten to derail research and essential industry functions, taking down GC and high-field NMR instruments, bringing a once state-of-the-art lab down to a bare-bones facility.

This whitepaper explores the use of alternative reaction monitoring technology, including the expression^® CMS (Compact Mass Spectrometer), Plate Express^TM TLC Plate Reader, and ASAP^® probe for liquid and solid samples – all helium-free alternatives for the chemistry laboratory.

Reaction Monitoring Capabilities at the Bench:

• The expression^® CMS offers an ideal reaction monitoring solution that will live on long beyond the helium shortage and become a centerpiece of the lab. The system offers a complete solution for: 
• Batch and flow chemistry 
• Fast compound identification and purity determination
• …with little or no sample preparation required, and many novel sample introduction interfaces