Sustainable advancement of high‑performance thin‑layer chromatography: integrating green, blue and white analytical chemistry with smart software solutions

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is increasingly recognised as a versatile, low-solvent technique for
routine quality control of food and herbal and pharmaceutical products. Recent developments in green analytical chemistry
(GAC), blue analytical chemistry (BAC) and white analytical chemistry (WAC) have accelerated the transition of HPTLC
from solvent-intensive workflows to sustainability-driven, decision-oriented platforms. The current review describes the
basics of HPTLC but in the context of a single GAC–BAC–WAC framework, including the use of solvents that are eco
friendly, miniaturisation and greener methods of sample preparation, including quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe
(QuEChERS), pressurised fluid extraction, dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction and solid
phase microextraction. Sustainable validation practices, including plate miniaturisation, chamber pre-saturation, automated
spotting, binary low-toxicity mobile phases and low-volume derivatisation, are critically discussed with respect to solvent
consumption, analytical performance and regulatory robustness. Particular emphasis is placed on contemporary greenness and
whiteness assessment tools (Green Analytical Procedure Index [GAPI]; Analytical Greenness Metric [AGREE]; Analytical
Eco-Scale; National Environmental Methods Index [NEMI]; red, green, blue (RGB); Greenness Evaluation Metric for
Analytical Methods [GEMAM]; and Blue Applicability Grade Index [BAGI]) and their application to HPTLC methods. This
review examines software-assisted HPTLC workflows, persistent gaps (limited life-cycle assessments [LCA], trace sensitivity,
digital standardisation), and prospects for smart software integration with GAC–BAC–WAC principles.