Meet Frederik André Hansen

Frederik develops microextraction and sample preparation techniques based on artificial liquid membranes, particularly electromembrane extraction (EME). His work aims to move EME beyond academic laboratories by improving scientists’ ability to understand, tune, and predict its selectivity while keeping the technology efficient, robust, and practical.

His group has developed the first data-driven framework for in silico EME method development using machine learning. By using analyte properties to optimize extraction parameters and predict extraction efficiency, much of the development process can take place before laboratory experiments begin. This reduces the experimental workload and helps new users adopt the now commercially available technique. “What excites me most is that we can lower the barrier for new users to adopt EME with confidence,” Frederik says.

Beyond AI, Frederik expects the environmental footprint of analytical laboratories to attract greater scrutiny and perhaps tighter regulation. He anticipates wider adoption of technologies such as 1 mm internal-diameter HPLC columns and miniaturized sample preparation, which have reached the robustness required for routine use.

“Claims of method ‘greenness’ are still frequently supported by metrics that, intentionally or not, can overestimate the true environmental benefits of a methodology,” Frederik says. Most metrics assess the quantities and toxicity of reagents used during an analytical procedure but exclude the impact of producing those reagents and materials. A nanoparticle-based sorbent synthesized using several hazardous chemicals could therefore contribute to a highly rated method despite its environmental cost. Frederik points to GreenSOL, which evaluates solvents from production through use and end-of-life treatment, as a promising alternative. “Approaches such as these move the field closer to a more holistic and meaningful assessment of sustainability.”

Frederik is also concerned that analytical chemistry is sometimes mistaken for a scientific service rather than recognized as an innovative discipline. “Analytical scientists may be viewed primarily as service providers who generate data to answer the ‘real’ chemical or biological questions,” he says. “I would describe this as chemical analysis rather than analytical chemistry. Analytical chemistry is fundamentally concerned with developing new technologies and methodologies that push the limits of what can be measured, or improve the performance, accessibility, and sustainability of existing measurement technologies.”