SBIR Phase I: Separation of Uncharged Polymers by Non-Uniform Electroosmotic flow

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）的第一阶段将展示不带电聚合物按长度的电动分离。这项技术将利用标准的微加工技术，结合电泳设备和荧光显微镜，创建专门设计的微流体通道。在单体分辨率下分离不带电的荧光聚（乙二醇）聚合物将使该技术发展成为用于学术、工业、医疗和环境实验室的原型平台。这项技术更广泛的影响（商业潜力）是将化学混合物分离成成分的能力，这对所有分析化学都是绝对必要的。分离技术在速度、质量、效率或分辨率方面的改进将加强幕后实验室工作，确保日常产品的质量。测量水中有机化合物或矿物质含量的水平通常由操作色谱工具的实验室技术人员处理；这个过程既昂贵又耗时。然而，色谱法在这些领域的应用是普遍的。这个项目的总体影响将是分离化学混合物的速度更快，成本更低。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I will demonstrate electrokinetic separation of uncharged polymers by length. This technique will create specially-designed microfluidic channels using standard microfabrication technology, coupled with electrophoresis equipment and a fluorescence microscope. The separation of uncharged, fluorescent poly(ethylene glycol) polymers at single-monomer resolution will enable the technology to progress to a prototype platform for use in academic, industrial, medical, and environmental laboratories. The broader impacts (commercial potential) of this technology are the ability to separate a chemical mixture into constituents, this is absolutely necessary for all of analytical chemistry. Improvements in speed, quality, efficiency, or resolution of separation techniques will enhance the behind-the-scenes laboratory work that ensures the quality of everyday products. Measuring the level of organic compounds or mineral content in water is often handled by lab technicians operating chromatography tools; the process is expensive and time-consuming. Nevertheless, the application of chromatography in these fields is pervasive. The overall impact from this project would be a faster and less expensive process to separate chemical mixtures.