Modification of glass channel walls for separation of biological particles by gravitational field-flow fractionation

In the gravitational field-flow fractionation of complex samples, various interaction and adsorption phenomena can occur in separation channels that influence fractionation and complicate the explanation of resulting fractograms. To overcome these problems, the glass surface was modified to create charge-free, non-adsorbing hydrophilic media for the mild treatment of hydrophilic biological particles. The modification was carried out in two steps: (1) by a simple lacquering of the glass surface with polystyrene diluted in toluene and (2) subsequent adsorption of a detergent layer on polystyrene. Essential suppression of ionic interactions between soluble low-molecular-mass compounds and the channel wall and decreased adsorption effects were demonstrated in separations of blood samples by gravitational field-flow fractionation.