Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biased cyclical electrical field-flow fractionation for separation of submicron particles

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The potential of biased cyclical electrical field-flow fractionation (BCyElFFF), which applies the positive cycle voltage longer than the negative cycle voltage, for characterization of submicron particles, was investigated. Parameters affecting separation and retention such as voltage, frequency, and duty cycle were examined. The results suggest that the separation mechanism in BCyElFFF in many cases is more related to the size of particles, as is the case with normal ElFFF, in the studied conditions, than the electrophoretic mobility, which is what the theory predicts for CyElFFF. However, better resolution was obtained when separating using BCyElFFF mode than when using normal CyElFFF. BCyElFFF was able to demonstrate simultaneous baseline separations of a mixture of 0.04-, 0.1-, and 0.2-μm particles and near separation of 0.5-μm particles. This study has shown the applicability of BCyElFFF for separation and characterization of submicron particles greater than 0.1-μm in size, which had not been demonstrated previously. The separation and retention results suggest that for particles of this size, retention is based more on particle size than on electrophoretic mobility, which is contrary to existing theory for CyElFFF.

Biased cyclical electrical field flow fractionation can also be used to improve resolution in separations of particles larger than 50 nm

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Giddings JC (1966) A new separation concept based on a coupling of concentration and flow nonuniformities. Sep Sci 1(1):123–125

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schimpf ME, Caldwell KD, Giddings JC (2000) Field-flow fractionation handbook. Wiley, New York, p 8

    Google Scholar 

  3. Caldwell KD, Kesner LF, Myers MN, Giddings JC (1972) Electrical field-flow fractionation of proteins. Science 176(4032):296–298

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Caldwell KD, Gao YS (1993) Electrical field-flow fractionation in particle separation. 1. Monodisperse standards. Anal Chem 65(13):1764–1772

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tri N, Caldwell K, Beckett R (2000) Development of electrical field-flow fractionation. Anal Chem 72(8):1823–1829

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gale BK, Caldwell KD, Frazier AB (2002) Geometric scaling effects in electrical field flow fractionation. 2. Experimental results. Anal Chem 74(5):1024–1030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gale BK, Srinivas M (2005) Cyclical electrical field flow fractionation. Electrophoresis 26(9):1623–1632

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gigault J, Gale BK, Le Hecho I, Lespes G (2011) Nanoparticle characterization by cyclical electrical field-flow fractionation. Anal Chem 83(17):6565–6572

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Dunkel M, Tri N, Beckett R, Caldwell KD (1997) Electrical field-flow fractionation: a tool for characterization of colloidal adsorption complexes. J Microcolumn Sep 9(3):177–183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gale BK, Caldwell KD, Frazier AB (1998) A micromachined electrical field-flow fractionation (μ-EFFF) system. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 45(12):1459–1469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Somchue W, Siripinyanond A, Gale BK (2012) Electrical field-flow fractionation for metal nanoparticle characterization. Anal Chem 84(11):4993–4998

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Sant HJ, Chakravarty S, Merugu S, Ferguson CG, Gale BK (2012) Characterization of polymerized liposomes using a combination of dc and cyclical electrical field-flow fractionation. Anal Chem 84(19):8323–8329

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Tasci TO, Johnson WP, Fernandez DP, Manangon E, Gale BK (2013) Biased cyclical electrical field flow fractionation for separation of sub 50 nm particles. Anal Chem 85(23):11225–11232

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Lee S, Myers MN, Beckett R, Giddings JC (1988) Particle separation and characterization by sedimentation/cyclical-field field-flow fractionation. Anal Chem 60(11):1129–1135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gale BK, Caldwell KD, Frazier AB (2001) Geometric scaling effects in electrical field flow fractionation. 1. Theoretical analysis. Anal Chem 73(10):2345–2352

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Center for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand

    Mathuros Ornthai & Atitaya Siripinyanond

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, 50 S. Central Campus Drive, Rm. 2110, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Bruce K. Gale

  3. Branches of Physical Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University, Bangna-Trad Rd, Samut Prakarn, 10540, Thailand

    Mathuros Ornthai

Authors
  1. Mathuros Ornthai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Atitaya Siripinyanond
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bruce K. Gale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruce K. Gale.

Ethics declarations

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge research grants from the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) and Center for Innovation in Chemistry: Postgraduate Education and Research Program in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Commission on Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Thailand, and the Office of the Higher Education Commission and Mahidol University under the National Research Universities Initiative. Financial support was from the Huachiew Chalermprakiet University and Thailand Research Fund through the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Program (Grant No. PHD/0035/2554) to M.O. Support for B.K.G was provided in part by the National Institutes of Health under grant 1R21GM107894

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ornthai, M., Siripinyanond, A. & Gale, B.K. Biased cyclical electrical field-flow fractionation for separation of submicron particles. Anal Bioanal Chem 408, 855–863 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-015-9173-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-015-9173-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation