Surface Modifications and Coatings in Chromatography

Wetted flow paths of modern day chromatography equipment must withstand an ever-growing list of corrosive solvents and environments while not interacting with analytes to provide low detection limits. Many technologies have been developed to address this challenge including new metal alloys, polymers, exotic materials, coatings (some plastic and others ceramic), and complete system redesigns to limit any deleterious non-specific binding to the flow path. We have gathered a group of scientist to discuss how flow paths modified with chemical vapor-deposited coatings can allow gas and liquid chromatographers to push analytical boundaries and enable what was previously thought to be impossible. We plan to start with sample introduction as Helen Martin of Markes International discusses thermal desorption and how modified steel surfaces provide an inert environment for applications from breath biopsies to hydrogen fuel analysis. We then move to Seth Lyman, Director of the Bingham Research Center at Utah State, who will discuss air quality and environmental analysis done via GC. He will present on some of the innovative environmental analyses that are performed utilizing a steel system that has been modified with a silicon coating. Diego A. Lopez of Restek corporation will discuss new uses for coated hardware in liquid chromatography, focusing on cannabis and mushroom alkaloid analysis. Finally, Murray Durrach of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will show the necessity of modified steel surfaces for performing mass spec analysis onboard the International Space Station, and potentially for manned missions to Mars.