TEOS PLASMA POLYMERIZED THIN FILMS AS A STATIONARY PHASE IN MICRO PRECOLUMNS USED FOR RETENTION OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

The aim was the manufacturing of miniaturized precolumns for retention and/or separation of compounds, in gas or liquid phase. Polysiloxane thin films obtained by plasma polymerization of Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were deposited in microcolumns, made of acrylic or aluminum, and ana-lyzed by Quartz Crystal Microbalance using organic com-pounds in a large range of polarity, carried by nitrogen, and ionic compounds, carried by water. As deposited, TEOS film allows the retention of volatile organic compounds and water, i.e. it is useful for sample pretreatment. After water exposure, TEOS films can be used not only for electrochromatography but also for gas and liquid chromatography. Thus, this micro precolumn has innumerable applications not only in retention or separation for chemical analysis (microTAS) but also for educational purposes, such as teaching new materials and analytical techniques.