With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities - Instrument Development (CRIF-ID) Program, Richard Sacks and colleagues in the Departments of Chemistry at the University of Michigan will develop a portable comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatograph (GC x GC) for on-site broad organic analysis.
On-site analysis applications of interest include chemical warfare agent (CWA) detection, clinical diagnostics (e.g., breath analysis), geochemical field studies, indoor and outdoor atmospheric and environmental monitoring, and space exploration as just a few examples. On-site analysis offers a panoply of benefits, including reduced sample degradation, contamination, and loss, as well as dramatically improved turnaround time for responding to analysis results. These advantages can be significant in clinical, CWA detection, and field applications. This instrument could enhance every scientific field relying on gas chromatography as an analytical tool.
