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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation for Sizing of Gold Nanoparticles in Suspension
Published on: September 11, 2020
Application of microstructured membranes for increasing retention, selectivity and resolution in asymmetrical flow
Maria Marioli1, Ü Bade Kavurt2, Dimitrios Stamatialis2
1Analytical Chemistry Group, van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
In the present proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that retention time, selectivity and resolution can be increased in asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) by introducing microstructured ultrafiltration membranes. Evenly spaced micron-sized grooves, that are placed perpendicular to the channel flow on the accumulation wall of a field-flow fractionation system, cause a decrease in the zone velocity which is stronger for larger solutes. This has been demonstrated in thermal field-flow fractionation, and we prove that this is also the case in AF4. We examine the hypothesis theoretically and experimentally, by both computational and physical experiments. By means of moment analysis, we derive theoretically a set of equations which, under certain conditions, describe the mass transport and relate retention time, selectivity and plate height to the dimensions of the grooves. Physical experiments are carried out using microstructured polyethersulfone membranes fabricated by hot embossing, and the experimental results are compared with computational fluid dynamics experiments.
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