title: Fabrication of high-quality microfluidic solid-phase chromatography columns.
abstract: Here we report a low-pressure bead packing technique for the robust integration of high-performance chromatography columns in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices made by multilayer soft lithography (MSL). A novel column geometry featuring micrometer-sized bypass channels along the entire length of the separation channel is used to achieve rapid packing of multiple high-quality bead bed columns in parallel with near-perfect yield. Pulse tests show that these microfluidic columns achieve exceptional reproducibility and efficiency, with measured plate counts of 1,650,000/m ± 7%, corresponding to a reduced plate height of h = 0.12 ± 7%. The combination of high-performance chromatography columns and valve-based microfluidics offers new opportunities for the integration of sample processing with preparative and analytical separations for biology and chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Centre for High-Throughput Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huft
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Carl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*