Abstract
Stationary phases with precisely ordered morphology have the potential to drastically 9 improve the performance of chromatographic operations, both in the analytical and in the 10 preparative/industrial fields. The recent wave of additive manufacturing, aka 3D printing, 11 gives the unprecedented ability to fabricate such stationary phases and to experimentally 12 prove theoretical principles of ordered chromatographic beds. The manufacture of highly 13 efficient chromatographic columns is becoming a reality as 3D printers become more 14 affordable and accessible, and their resolution, speed and material flexibility continue to 15 grow. This brings fresh ideas to the design of chromatographic beds, moving away from 16 stereotypical “packed” beds with spherical particles to bespoke monolithic structures to suit 17 a range of specific applications. This review aims to cover the state of the art of ordered 18 beds for liquid chromatography applications, drawing analogies between the well-19 established pillar-array columns in two-dimensions to their three-dimensional counterparts. 20 The potential use of 3D printing to create entirely new column formats and cartridge 21 designs such as microchip columns will also be discussed. Finally, key opportunities and 22 challenges which remain in the field of 3D-printed chromatography are summarised, with 23 the hope that 3D printed chromatographic columns will soon become the standard.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 443-463 |
| Journal | Chromatographia |
| Volume | 82 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 14 Dec 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- 3D printing
- Packed beds
- Chromatography
- Porous Media
- Packing Homogeneity