Laser-cut and 3D Printed Gravity-Driven Chromatography Column Rack and Vial Holders

Gravity-driven column chromatography is a widespread technique used across many disciplines, including chemistry, biosciences, geosciences, engineering, industry, and medicine. The purpose is to separate out specific (suites of) compounds from a mixed solution. A lack of commercially available or suitable racks means that many users resort to making their own custom racks for their research needs. Often, these can be inefficient in their use of valuable bench or fume-hood space, limiting the number of columns that can be run simultaneously and thus significantly reducing laboratory throughput over time. Furthermore, many do not have specialised vial holders, and misalignments between the vials and the end of the column can result in lost extracts, and increased analytical error in any subsequent data. Here we present an open-source design for a gravity-driven column chromatography rack and vial holders for which the component parts can be entirely laser-cut, or a combination of laser-cut and 3D printed, from materials of the user’s choice. These components can be assembled without the need for specialised tools and can be flat-packed for easy shipping and transport. The vial holders are constrained laterally, and embedded alignment features facilitate precise positioning of the column above the collection vial. This low-cost design is intended as a complementary alternative to existing robust metal systems and aims to improve efficiency and reduce sample loss for users of gravity-driven column chromatography.