Review on micro-gas chromatography system for analysis of multiple low-concentration volatile organic compounds: preconcentration, separation, detection, integration, and challenges

Abstract

Abstract As the dangers of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their potential as non-invasive diagnosis biomarkers have been reported, there has been a need for instrument capable of real-time and in-situ monitoring of multiple low-concentration VOCs in indoor air or human metabolites. A promising technology that can qualitatively and quantitatively analyze numerous VOCs as an alternative to conventional bench-top instruments is a micro-gas chromatography (µ-GC) system, which integrates three main components: a micro-gas preconcentrator, a µ-GC column, and a mini- or micro-detector fabricated using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) processes. This review covers the integration methods, features, and analysis capabilities of recently developed µ-GC systems and examines the materials, designs, and principles of the three main components. In addition, the challenging issues that must be addressed for the commercialization of this technology are discussed.

Keywords

• Volatile organic compounds
• Indoor air
• Biomarker
• Micro-gas chromatography system
• Micro-gas chromatography column
• Micro-gas preconcentrator