A Comprehensive Review on UHPLC and UPLC: Advancements, Comparison, and Applications

Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) and Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) are two of the most advanced liquid chromatographic techniques, offering improved separation, sensitivity, and speed over traditional High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). While both technologies share similar principles, they differ in system configurations, column technologies, and applications. UHPLC generally refers to any liquid chromatography system capable of using sub-2 µm particles, while UPLC is a proprietary technology developed by Waters Corporation that optimizes chromatographic performance specifically with sub-2 µm particles. This review explores the principles, advancements, differences, and applications of UHPLC and UPLC, discussing their unique advantages and limitations, and providing insights into their roles in industries such as pharmaceuticals, food safety, environmental analysis, clinical diagnostics, and forensics.