Fabrication and characterization of microelectromechanical systems-based gas chromatography column with embedded micro-posts for separation of environmental carcinogens

• A micro column with embedded micro-posts was developed for increasing the overall surface area and reducing the effective width.
• The micro GC column was successfully fabricated based on MEMS technology and an optimized layout.
• The location of the micro-posts in the linear channels and the configuration of curved channels were optimized.
• The results showed the column could yield efficiencies of 9500 plates/m and elute highly symmetrical Gaussian peaks.

In this paper, a micro gas chromatography (μGC) column with embedded micro-posts was developed for increasing overall surface area of the columns which is able to support more of the stationary phase and reducing the effective width of the column, leading to higher separation efficiency. The proposed columns have a higher sample capacity as the overall surface area is about 3 times larger than that of open columns with the same dimensions. In order to achieve an even flow velocity in the channels, the location of the micro-posts in the linear channels and the configuration of curved channels were optimized by numerical simulation. The results have indicated that the proposed column separated 5 environmental carcinogens in less than 50 s, achieved a separation efficiency of about 9500 plates/m and eluted highly symmetrical Gaussian peaks.