Strategies for the use of SPE

One of the first uses of SPE was as a filtration device in pharmaceutical laboratories where scientists were extracting active compounds from fermentation broths. SPE cartridges were used to remove as much of the matrix as possible, allowing active compounds to pass through the columns and to be collected. This technique has evolved into a more sophisticated large-scale type of chromatography, called flash chromatography, used by organic synthetic chemists.