Separation of nano- and micro-sized materials by hyphenated flow and centrifugal field-flow fractionation

Abstract

A novel field-flow fractionation (FFF) separation system, a separation system that hyphenated a flow FFF and a centrifugal FFF, was investigated as a hybrid tool for fractionation of nano- and micro-materials. The investigated FFF system makes it possible to separate materials with a considerably wider size distribution than is possible by either a flow FFF or centrifugal FFF alone. The hyphenated FFF separation system is also able to simultaneously separate materials by both hydrodynamic size and density. This investigated analytical method should play an important role in developing new applications of colloidal nano- and micro-materials in industrial and biological research.