Gas chromatography micro-column with 3D nanostructured stationary phase

Abstract

Due to the increasing demand for fast, on-site detection of hazardous chemicals, micro-gas chromatography technology has made huge improvements. Among various components of the gas chromatography system, a separator is a key component to miniaturize the gas chromatography system. Many attempts have been made to achieve a high-performance micro-column by coating a porous layer inside the column, however, coating ordered 3D structure remained a challenge. In this research, periodically porous three-dimensional nanostructures are fabricated as a stationary phase for a micro-column using the Proximity-field nanopatterning (PnP) technique. PnP technique is an advanced 3D lithography that uses unique optical interference and produces high-resolution 3D periodic nanostructures. The uniform periodicity of the stationary phase is suggested to enhance the adsorption and desorption of analytes and therefore enhance the column performance. The assembled micro-column is integrated into a GC-FID system and mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were tested qualitatively. The micro-column with 3D nanostructure showed enhanced performance compared to the commercial column due to the structural effect. Column performance can be further improved by coating the 3D stationary phase with polymer.