The ability to measure and analyze samples in the field rather than in a laboratory is of great interest for a variety of applications, from medicine to explosives detection, where real-time information is important for making decisions. The development of inexpensive, portable gas chromatographs would enhance the utility of a portable gas analyzer. As part of such a development, miniature gas chromatography columns have been fabricated in the past by photolithographing channels in silicon substrate. Our lab previously reported the development of cheap, disposable GC microcolumns made using an epoxy polymer substrate. By mixing the epoxy monomer with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) precursor, phase separation during curing of the polymers resulted in the formation of a PDMS stationary phase lining the channel wall which was demonstrated to separate a mixture of alkanes. The work of creating polymer-based GC microcolumns has continued. We have developed an alternative production method that forms channels with a circular cross-section rather than a rectangular cross-section. In addition, a method of depositing the stationary phase has been developed using polymer swelling to entrap PDMS oligomers, which cure to form a thin coating in situ. The performance of these new columns has been demonstrated in the separation of alkane mixtures.

Polymer-based gas chromatography microcolumns

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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