Femto Liquid Chromatography with Attoliter Sample Separation in the Extended Nanospace Channel

摘要

A liquid chromatography system, comprising a separationncolumn with a width and depth of a few hundred nano-nmeters, was fabricated on a glass microchip (femto liquidnchromatography, fLC). The size of this system was ap-nproximately 1011 times smaller than that of a conven-ntional LC system, the flow rate was subpicoliterminute, and the injection volume was a few hundrednattoliters. The fLC system did not require packingnstationary phase and was capable of separating solutesnwith different molecular charges (fluorescein and sul-nforhodamine B) that could not be separated on anconventional LC column whose surface was coverednwith the same functional group as that of the columnnof the fLC system. The fLC system represented hereinnovercomes limitations of conventional chromatographynseparation, namely, heterogeneity of the stationarynphases and eddy diffusion. Scale-down of the chroma-ntography system brought advantages not only in reduc-ntion of sample volume but also in separation efficiency.nThe fLC system can analyze a very small amount ofnsample with high efficiency and will be useful innanalyzing small samples, such as single cells andnsynaptic clefts. fLC greatly influences and benefitsnvarious fields such as life sciences, medicine, envi-nronmental science, and manufacturing by the improve-nment of separation technology.