Applications of in situ derivatization in liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Derivatization is an effective method to analyze substances, in which the analyte is converted into a more suitable form for analysis. As one of the most used pre-column derivatization methods, in situ derivatization can simultaneously extract and derivatize the analyte in a sample matrix, resulting in good efficiency, sensitivity, and selectivity of the analytical method. Recently, in situ derivatization combined with sample pretreatment techniques has been widely used in biological, drug, food, environmental, and cosmetic samples for the analysis of trace amines, aldehydes and ketones, alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids, and thiols. This review summarizes the reaction types and representative derivatization reagents of in situ derivatization. The applications of in situ derivatization in liquid chromatography (LC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis are examined. Furthermore, the long-term prospects and potential applications of in situ derivatization are discussed.