SBIR Phase I: A universal carbon detector for liquid phase chemical detection of organic molecules

本小企业创新研究一期项目将研究开发一种通用的碳检测器，用于使用火焰离子化检测的液相色谱。这一创新的商业化是一种产品，将使科学家能够更轻松和准确地测量化合物，并大大简化液相色谱所需检测器的数量和类型。该产品的广泛影响包括更快的药物和产品开发，更准确的纯度分析，更好的环境采样以及在使用液相色谱的许多市场领域进行更有效的研究。拟议的活动将产生一种产品，在5亿美元的紫外检测器市场上竞争，提供通用的碳检测，而不需要发色团和线性检测器响应。该项目的智力价值是开发一种低成本的通用检测器，能够以高灵敏度和线性响应几乎所有的有机分子。以前利用火焰离子化检测器的尝试失败了，因为缺乏完全蒸发分析物和去除有机溶剂所需的技术。我们已经确定了一个氧化还原微型反应器，将所有有机分子转化为甲烷蒸气。我们预计所提出的检测器将具有与气相色谱中的火焰离子化检测器相当的灵敏度。该技术将为包括制药、生物燃料、环境测试、化学品和食品在内的各种行业带来无与伦比的分子定量。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will research and develop a universal carbon detector for liquid chromatography using flame ionization detection. The commercialization of this innovation is a product that will allow scientists to measure compounds with greater ease and accuracy, and drastically simplify the number and types of detectors required in liquid chromatography. The broader impacts of this product include faster drug and product development, more accurate purity analysis, better environmental sampling and more efficient research in many market sectors where liquid chromatography is used. The proposed activity will result in a product that competes in the $500M UV detector market, offering universal carbon detection without the need for a chromophore and linear detector response. The intellectual merit of this project is the development of a low-cost, universal detector that is capable of responding to nearly all organic molecules with high sensitivity and linearity. Previous attempts to utilize the flame ionization detector have failed because of the lack of technologies necessary for the complete vaporization of analytes and removal of organic solvents. We have identified an oxidation-reduction microreactor that converts all organic molecules to methane vapors. We anticipate the proposed detector will have a sensitivity on-par with flame ionization detectors in gas chromatography. The technology would bring unparalleled molecular quantification to a wide variety of industries including pharmaceuticals, biofuels, environmental testing, chemicals and foods.