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The promise of nanotechnology for separation devices – from a top‐down approach to nature‐inspired separation devices
Author(s) -
Eijkel Jan C. T.,
van den Berg Albert
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/elps.200500727
Subject(s) - nanotechnology , separation (statistics) , chromatographic separation , biochemical engineering , computer science , chemistry , materials science , chromatography , engineering , machine learning , high performance liquid chromatography
An overview is given of the possible applications of nanotechnology to optimise existing separation methods and to enable new methods. Attention is paid to nanotechnological contributions in the fields of HPLC, CEC, sieves, Brownian ratchets and preconcentration units. A brief description is also given of some selection/separation mechanisms that occur in biological (cell) structures and possible future applications of these mechanisms in separation devices are investigated. Especially the active transport in discrete events occurring in cells is mentioned as a potentially powerful separating mechanism.