Integrated monolithic microfabricated electrospray and liquid chromatography system and method
First Claim
1. A method for generating an electrospray of a fluid, comprising:
- providing a monolithic electrospray substrate having an injection side on an opposite planar side from an ejection surface, the monolithic substrate defining;
an entrance orifice on the injection side, a nozzle on the ejection surface, a channel extending continuously through the monolithic substrate communicating with the entrance orifice and the nozzle, and a region surrounding the nozzle recessed from the ejection surface;
introducing a fluid into the channel through the entrance orifice;
providing a first electrode in electrical contact with the fluid;
applying a first potential voltage to the fluid;
positioning the nozzle adjacent to an extracting electrode; and
ejecting the fluid in the form of an electrospray from the channel through the nozzle by applying or holding the extracting electrode at a second potential voltage different from the first potential voltage.
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Abstract
An electrospray device, a liquid chromatography device and an electrospray-liquid chromatography system are disclosed. The electrospray device comprises a substrate defining a channel between an entrance orifice on an injection surface and an exit orifice on an ejection surface, a nozzle defined by a portion recessed from the ejection surface surrounding the exit orifice, and an electrode for application of an electric potential to the substrate to optimize and generate an electrospray; and, optionally, additional electrode(s) to further modify the electrospray. The liquid chromatography device comprises a separation substrate defining an introduction channel between an entrance orifice and a reservoir and a separation channel between the reservoir and an exit orifice, the separation channel being populated with separation posts perpendicular to the fluid flow; a cover substrate bonded to the separation substrate to enclose the reservoir and the separation channel adjacent the cover substrate; and, optionally, electrode(s) for application of a electric potential to the fluid. The exit orifice of the liquid chromatography device may be homogeneously interfaced with the entrance orifice of the electrospray device to form an integrated single system. An array of multiple systems may be fabricated in a single monolithic chip for rapid sequential fluid processing and generation of electrospray for subsequent analysis, such as by positioning the exit orifices of the electrospray devices near the sampling orifice of a mass spectrometer.
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Citations
2 Claims
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1. A method for generating an electrospray of a fluid, comprising:
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providing a monolithic electrospray substrate having an injection side on an opposite planar side from an ejection surface, the monolithic substrate defining;
an entrance orifice on the injection side, a nozzle on the ejection surface, a channel extending continuously through the monolithic substrate communicating with the entrance orifice and the nozzle, and a region surrounding the nozzle recessed from the ejection surface;
introducing a fluid into the channel through the entrance orifice;
providing a first electrode in electrical contact with the fluid;
applying a first potential voltage to the fluid;
positioning the nozzle adjacent to an extracting electrode; and
ejecting the fluid in the form of an electrospray from the channel through the nozzle by applying or holding the extracting electrode at a second potential voltage different from the first potential voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2)
providing a second electrode in electrical contact with the monolithic substrate; and
applying a third potential voltage to said second electrode, different from said first potential voltage.
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Specification