Characterization of a High-Performance Portable GC with a Chemiresistor Array Detector

Details

• Personal Author:
  Steinecker WH ; Zellers ET ; Zhong Q
• Description:
  The laboratory characterization of a novel, second-generation portable gas chromatograph (GC) prototype designed for trace-level determinations of complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOC) is described. The instrument incorporates a small, multi-stage adsorbent preconcentrator/injector (PCI), two series-coupled separation columns with fast, independent temperature-programming capabilities and junction-point pressure/flow control, and a detector consisting of an array of microfabricated chemiresistor (CR) sensors coated with thiolate-monolayer-protected gold nanoparticle films. Response patterns from the CR array are used in conjunction with chromatographic retention times to identify eluting mixture components. Scrubbed ambient air is used as the carrier gas. Enhancements in design relative to a previously reported first-generation prototype instrument have led to significant reductions in limits of detection as well as improvements in resolution, reliability, flexibility, and convenience. Key features of the instrument are characterized, with an emphasis on the tradeoffs in sensor array performance associated with operation at different temperatures and flow rates. The separation of a preconcentrated mixture of 31 VOCs in < 7 minutes is demonstrated. Projected detection limits are in the ppt range for most compounds, assuming a 1 L sample volume. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution Air Pollution, Indoor Chromatography, Gas Environmental Monitoring Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Solvents
• Keywords:
  Air-quality Air-quality-control Air-quality-measurement Air-quality-monitoring Equipment-design Equipment-reliability Gas-chromatography Gas-liquid-chromatography Gases Nanotechnology Organic-chemicals Organic-compounds Organic-vapors Particle-counters Vapors

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• ISSN:
  0003-2654
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  283-293
• Volume:
  134
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20034958
• Citation:
  Analyst 2009 Feb; 134(2):283-293
• Contact Point Address:
  Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, 109 S. Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• Performing Organization:
  University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19980930
• Source Full Name:
  Analyst
• End Date:
  20060531
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6b812d3cce1900ed37c7fa791876ae1f156ad0192e7425e0c683a695ea24bf309cdc674719309ede9a397365de1a572354880955ed42474d632c57c8106cdcfb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/186966/cdc_186966_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 755.19 KB ]