27 research outputs found
Shear flow pumping in open microfluidic systems
We propose to drive open microfluidic systems by shear in a covering fluid
layer, e.g., oil covering water-filled chemical channels. The advantages as
compared to other means of pumping are simpler forcing and prevention of
evaporation of volatile components. We calculate the expected throughput for
straight channels and show that devices can be built with off-the-shelf
technology. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that this concept is
scalable down to the nanoscale.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Extending the functionalities of shear-driven chromatography nano-channels using high aspect ratio etching
An new injection system is presented for shear-driven chromatography. The device has been fabricated by high aspect ratio etching of silicon. The performance of the injection slit is studied through the aid of computational fluid dynamics, and the first experimental results are presented
Enhanced selectivity and search speed for method development using one-segment-per-component optimization strategies
Linear gradient programs are very frequently used in reversed phase liquid chromatography to enhance the selectivity compared to isocratic separations. Multi-linear gradient programs on the other hand are only scarcely used, despite their intrinsically larger separation power. Because the gradient-conformity of the latest generation of instruments has greatly improved, a renewed interest in more complex multi-segment gradient liquid chromatography can be expected in the future, raising the need for better performing gradient design algorithms. We explored the possibilities of a new type of multi-segment gradient optimization algorithm, the so-called "one-segment-per-group-of-components" optimization strategy. In this gradient design strategy, the slope is adjusted after the elution of each individual component of the sample, letting the retention properties of the different analytes auto-guide the course of the gradient profile. Applying this method experimentally to four randomly selected test samples, the separation time could on average be reduced with about 40% compared to the best single linear gradient. Moreover, the newly proposed approach performed equally well or better than the multi-segment optimization mode of a commercial software package. Carrying out an extensive in silico study, the experimentally observed advantage could also be generalized over a statistically significant amount of different 10 and 20 component samples. In addition, the newly proposed gradient optimization approach enables much faster searches than the traditional multi-step gradient design methods. © 2014 Elsevier B.V