Research Guide

Research compound testing: purity, identity and documentation

Testing answers two separate questions — is the material what it claims to be, and how much of it is the intended compound. This guide explains the methods behind those answers and how results are documented at ATMI Labs.

Identity versus purity

Identity testing asks whether the material corresponds to the expected compound. Purity testing asks what proportion of the sample is that compound rather than related impurities, residual reagents, or degradation products.

The two are complementary: a correct identity result says nothing about impurity content, and a high purity figure is meaningless without confirmation that the main peak is the intended compound.

Reversed-phase HPLC

High-performance liquid chromatography separates the components of a sample as it passes through a column. In reversed-phase mode, separation is driven by hydrophobicity, and peptides are commonly analysed on a C18 column using a gradient of acetonitrile with trifluoroacetic acid as an ion-pairing additive.

ATMI Labs analyses every batch by reversed-phase HPLC under those conditions and applies a release threshold of ≥99.0% purity. Because area-percent purity depends on the method, the conditions are reported with the result.

LC-MS identity confirmation

Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry measures the mass of the separated species. The observed mass is compared with the value calculated from the expected sequence or formula; agreement supports the identity assignment, and a mismatch indicates the material is not what the specification describes.

Deconvolution reports from that analysis are attached to the Certificate of Analysis so the underlying data can be reviewed alongside the summary figures.

Independent third-party retesting

Each batch is retested by an independent laboratory, which issues a signed comparison report. Independent retesting matters because it removes the supplier as the sole source of the analytical result.

No lot is released for sale without its analytical documentation on file, and each vial's batch identifier resolves to the synthesis, analytical, and shipment records for that lot.

What testing does not establish

Analytical testing characterises material. It does not establish safety, efficacy, or suitability for any application, and it does not change the research-use-only status of the compounds described on this site.

Documentation and verification

Analytical documentation is published per released lot. Use the batch code on a vial to retrieve the report that applies to that specific material.

Compound research overviews

Compound-level background for materials discussed in general terms above. Grouping is for navigation only and implies nothing about comparable effects.