Instrumentation Development: Label-free and rapid 3D-nanostructure ultrathin-layer birefringence imaging chromatography

在化学-化学测量和成像计划部门的支持下，来自内布拉斯加大学林肯分校化学系的大卫哈格和电气工程系的蒂诺霍夫曼及其学生将开发用于超薄层成像色谱的无标记和快速检测的仪器，该仪器使用高度定向的3D纳米结构微球，层支撑与透射双折射成像检测方案相结合。这种方法是基于椭圆偏振测量的，将使用空间和时间分辨的显微图像检测纳米工程支持物与分析物相互作用时的线性双折射变化。色谱法通过将混合物分离成其组分来分析混合物。 超薄层液相色谱（UTLC）方法利用组分与非常薄的特殊工程（纳米结构）薄膜的相互作用来分离组分。 这些方法通常需要对混合物组分进行标记或加标签，以便可以检测它们。 与目前最先进的无标记UTLC系统相比，这项工作有望将UTLC的检测限降低两个数量级;这将是这项技术的突破性进展。这种分离和成像系统的应用，这将具有基本上普遍适用于小的化学目标，将有利于化学分析在许多领域，包括生物化学，环境和药物测试。除了与当前UTLC系统相比新测量方案的显著优点之外，对吸附到纳米结构表面的微量化学品的灵敏度增加也将提供关于纳米结构表面的分离和基于流动的性质的关键信息。 该项目为学生提供了一个独特的机会，参与新仪器和跨学科研究的发展。

With support from the Division of Chemistry - Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program, David Hage from the Department of Chemistry and Tino Hofmann from the Department of Electrical Engineering and their students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will develop instrumentation for label-free and rapid detection in ultrathin-layer imaging chromatography by using highly-oriented 3D nanostructure ultrathin-layer supports in combination with transmission birefringence imaging detection schemes. This approach, which is based on ellipsometric measurements, will use the detection of spatial and time-resolved microscopic images of linear birefringence variations in nanoengineered supports upon the interactions of these supports with analytes.Chromatography methods analyze mixtures by separating them into their components. Ultrathin-layer liquid chromatography (UTLC) methods separate components using their interactions with very thin, specially engineered (nanostructured) films. Often these methods require that the mixture components be labeled or tagged so that they can be detected. This work is expected to reduce the limit of detection of UTLC by two orders of magnitude when compared to current state-of-the-art label-free UTLC systems; this will be a groundbreaking advancement in this technology. The application of this separation and imaging system, which will have essentially universal applicability to small chemical targets, will benefit chemical analysis in many fields, including biochemical, environmental, and pharmaceutical testing. In addition to the significant advantages of the new measurement scheme compared to current UTLC systems, the increased sensitivity to minute amounts of chemicals that are adsorbed to nanostructured surfaces will also provide crucial information about the separation and flow-based properties of the nanostructured surfaces. This project provides a unique opportunity for students to participate in the development of new instrumentation and interdisciplinary research.