title: Highly stable surface functionalization of microgas chromatography columns using layer-by-layer self-assembly of silica nanoparticles.
abstract: A controllable and high-yield surface functionalization of silicon microchannels using layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of SiO2 nanoparticles (SNPs) is presented. The application of SNPs (45 nm average diameter) coating as a stationary phase for chromatographic separation is also demonstrated with surface functionalization using chloroalkylsilanes. This method facilitates a simple, low-cost, and parallel processing scheme that also provides homogeneous and stable nanoparticle-based stationary phases with ease of control over the coating thickness. The SNP-functionalized microfabricated columns with either single capillary channels (1 m long, 150 μm wide, 240 μm deep) or very narrow multicapillary channels (25 cm long, 30 μm wide, 240 μm deep, 16 parallel channels) successfully separated a multicomponent gas mixture with a wide range of boiling points with high reproducibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hamza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shakeel
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lovette
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Heflin
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agah