Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)
UPLCUltra-performance liquid chromatography, or UPLC, is a higher-pressure form of liquid chromatography that uses smaller column particles for faster, sharper separations.
The principle is the same as HPLC: a dissolved sample is pushed through a packed column and its components emerge at different times to be measured by a detector. Smaller particles improve resolution and shorten run times, at the cost of equipment that must handle much higher pressures. Because the sample is not heated, acidic and neutral cannabinoids are measured separately.
On a certificate of analysis the method may be named beside cannabinoid potency results or, when paired with mass spectrometry, beside pesticide and mycotoxin screens. For a reader the distinction from HPLC is technical rather than meaningful; both produce reliable potency figures when run by a competent laboratory with certified reference standards. The reporting limits, the batch match and the completeness of the panel matter more than which variant of liquid chromatography was used.