Merck Announces First Bio-Based Solvent Portfolio for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Merck launches its first bio-based HPLC solvent portfolio, reducing CO2e emissions by an average of 25.9% while acting as a drop-in replacement with equivalent performance.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 00:02 (5h 2m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 00:47 (45 min after Collected)
*This news release is a Japanese translation of the English news release announced by Merck in Darmstadt, Germany, on April 21, 2026, with some additions for supplementary purposes. The official language of this document is English, and its content and interpretation shall take precedence. Please click here for the English version.
Solvents produced from renewable raw materials contribute to reducing reliance on fossil-based materials.
Can be used as alternative drop-ins with conventional products, maintaining equivalent chromatographic performance.
Supports the achievement of sustainability goals by lowering product-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Darmstadt, Germany, April 21, 2026 - Merck, a leading global science and technology company, today announced the launch of its first bio-based solvent portfolio for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The new HPLC solvents (patent pending), manufactured using renewable raw materials, reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by an average of 25.9% compared to traditional fossil-based HPLC-grade solvents, while maintaining the performance required for high-precision analytical workflows.
Karen Madden, Chief Technology Officer for the Life Science business sector of Merck, said: 'Our new bio-based HPLC solvents represent the next generation of high-performance liquid chromatography. Customers demand solutions that contribute to reducing environmental impact without compromising performance quality. This innovative portfolio aims to deliver the precision, quality, and reliability expected in HPLC, designed to seamlessly integrate into existing analytical methods.'
These bio-based solvents are compatible with established HPLC and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods and instruments, supporting easy implementation in routine analysis and regulated environments. In HPLC, solvents act as the mobile phase transporting samples through the chromatography system, enabling the separation and quantification of components. This is a crucial step for generating reliable data in applications such as drug discovery research, pharmaceutical development, manufacturing quality control, environmental monitoring, and diagnostics.
Leveraging its proprietary manufacturing processes and deep scientific expertise, Merck developed this innovative portfolio to strengthen its commitment to advancing more sustainable, high-performance chromatography solutions. The new portfolio includes drop-in replacements for acetonitrile, methanol, and ethanol. Because the newly launched bio-based solvents are designed to deliver performance equivalent to conventional products, users can transition to these alternatives without needing to rebuild analytical methods, which often involves extensive labor.
This launch further expands Merck's lineup of environmentally friendly alternatives designed to help customers reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining the precision and reliability expected by laboratories. The new bio-based solvents reflect the company's broader strategic direction toward innovations that support more sustainable science.
Bio-based HPLC solvents are available at the website / Bio-based-HPLC-Solvents.
1 Patents pending for bio-based methanol and acetonitrile.
2 The comparison of CO2e values for individual bio-based HPLC solvents against fossil-fuel alternatives is based on supplier and industry emission data via EcoInvent, as follows. Acetonitrile (Biorenewable, gradient grade for LC, product number 104771): 28% reduction in CO2e emissions; Methanol (Biorenewable, gradient grade for LC, product number 106188): 29% reduction in CO2e emissions; Methanol (Biorenewable, hypergrade for LC-MS, product number 106176): 29% reduction in CO2e emissions; Ethanol (Biorenewable, hypergrade for LC-MS, product number 117480): 17.6% reduction in CO2e emissions.
About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science, and electronics. Around 62,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices, Merck is everywhere. In 2025, Merck generated sales of €21.1 billion in 65 countries.
In advancing Merck's technology and science
Solvents produced from renewable raw materials contribute to reducing reliance on fossil-based materials.
Can be used as alternative drop-ins with conventional products, maintaining equivalent chromatographic performance.
Supports the achievement of sustainability goals by lowering product-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Darmstadt, Germany, April 21, 2026 - Merck, a leading global science and technology company, today announced the launch of its first bio-based solvent portfolio for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The new HPLC solvents (patent pending), manufactured using renewable raw materials, reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by an average of 25.9% compared to traditional fossil-based HPLC-grade solvents, while maintaining the performance required for high-precision analytical workflows.
Karen Madden, Chief Technology Officer for the Life Science business sector of Merck, said: 'Our new bio-based HPLC solvents represent the next generation of high-performance liquid chromatography. Customers demand solutions that contribute to reducing environmental impact without compromising performance quality. This innovative portfolio aims to deliver the precision, quality, and reliability expected in HPLC, designed to seamlessly integrate into existing analytical methods.'
These bio-based solvents are compatible with established HPLC and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods and instruments, supporting easy implementation in routine analysis and regulated environments. In HPLC, solvents act as the mobile phase transporting samples through the chromatography system, enabling the separation and quantification of components. This is a crucial step for generating reliable data in applications such as drug discovery research, pharmaceutical development, manufacturing quality control, environmental monitoring, and diagnostics.
Leveraging its proprietary manufacturing processes and deep scientific expertise, Merck developed this innovative portfolio to strengthen its commitment to advancing more sustainable, high-performance chromatography solutions. The new portfolio includes drop-in replacements for acetonitrile, methanol, and ethanol. Because the newly launched bio-based solvents are designed to deliver performance equivalent to conventional products, users can transition to these alternatives without needing to rebuild analytical methods, which often involves extensive labor.
This launch further expands Merck's lineup of environmentally friendly alternatives designed to help customers reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining the precision and reliability expected by laboratories. The new bio-based solvents reflect the company's broader strategic direction toward innovations that support more sustainable science.
Bio-based HPLC solvents are available at the website / Bio-based-HPLC-Solvents.
1 Patents pending for bio-based methanol and acetonitrile.
2 The comparison of CO2e values for individual bio-based HPLC solvents against fossil-fuel alternatives is based on supplier and industry emission data via EcoInvent, as follows. Acetonitrile (Biorenewable, gradient grade for LC, product number 104771): 28% reduction in CO2e emissions; Methanol (Biorenewable, gradient grade for LC, product number 106188): 29% reduction in CO2e emissions; Methanol (Biorenewable, hypergrade for LC-MS, product number 106176): 29% reduction in CO2e emissions; Ethanol (Biorenewable, hypergrade for LC-MS, product number 117480): 17.6% reduction in CO2e emissions.
About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science, and electronics. Around 62,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices, Merck is everywhere. In 2025, Merck generated sales of €21.1 billion in 65 countries.
In advancing Merck's technology and science