Abstract
In the present proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that retention time, selectivity and resolution can be increased in asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) by introducing microstructured ultrafiltration membranes. Evenly spaced micron-sized grooves, that are placed perpendicular to the channel flow on the accumulation wall of a field-flow fractionation system, cause a decrease in the zone velocity which is stronger for larger solutes. This has been demonstrated in thermal field-flow fractionation, and we prove that this is also the case in AF4. We examine the hypothesis theoretically and experimentally, by both computational and physical experiments. By means of moment analysis, we derive theoretically a set of equations which, under certain conditions, describe the mass transport and relate retention time, selectivity and plate height to the dimensions of the grooves. Physical experiments are carried out using microstructured polyethersulfone membranes fabricated by hot embossing, and the experimental results are compared with computational fluid dynamics experiments.
Highlights
Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4), the most applied subtechnique of the field-flow fractionation (FFF) family, is an established analytical method to separate macromolecules and nanoparticles according to their hydrodynamic size under mild conditions [1,2,3]
Overall our results indicate that hot-embossing needs to be optimized to avoid changes of the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) since the concept would be beneficial for low molecular weight analytes, and in general UF membranes with high solvent permeability are preferred in AF4
We have demonstrated that micron-sized grooves could improve performance in AF4
Summary
Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4), the most applied subtechnique of the field-flow fractionation (FFF) family, is an established analytical method to separate macromolecules and nanoparticles according to their hydrodynamic size under mild conditions [1,2,3]. Considering the rapid growth in biotechnology, nanotechnology and polymer engineering, it is evident that AF4 is going to witness a further growth in applications in the coming years. In this regard, it is worthwhile to propose and investigate possible new technical developments that may improve performance. Considering that AF4 is a very flexible technique where several parameters can be altered to optimize separation, first a justification should be given for the usefulness of such a development
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