noun
- A solvent used in chromatography to carry the sample through the stationary phase and separate its components.
Usage: technical; chemistry
Examples
- The chemist selected an appropriate eluent for the liquid chromatography experiment.
- Different eluents produce different separation patterns depending on the polarity of the compounds.
- Water and methanol are common eluents used in reverse-phase chromatography.
- The eluent flows through the column, carrying the dissolved sample components at different rates.
- Changing the eluent composition can improve the resolution of the chromatographic analysis.