Today's Messages

The Chemistry Department will host a graduate student literature seminar on Thursday, February 26, during Bengal Pause (12:15 to 1:30 p.m.) in SAMC 151. Our speaker will be Mikayla Bush, a graduate student in the forensic science master's program. 

Talk Title:

Field-Flow Fractionation for Nanoparticle Separation and Characterization: Principles and Application

Field-flow fractionation (FFF) is a separation method used to study nanoparticles, large molecules, and colloids that are difficult to analyze with traditional chromatography. Instead of using a packed column, FFF separates particles in a thin open channel by applying an external force. This gentle design reduces sample damage and unwanted surface interactions, which makes it especially useful for fragile or complex nanoparticle systems. In FFF, separation happens because small and large particles behave differently in flowing liquid. Smaller particles move into faster parts of the flow and come out earlier, while larger particles stay closer to the channel and elute later. Several FFF formats exist, but asymmetric flow FFF (AF4) is the most widely  used for nanoparticle research. Thermal and sedimentation FFF offers additional selectivity when separation based on temperature effects or density differences is needed. FFF is often combined with detector such as multi-angle light scattering (MALS), dynamic light scattering (DLS)m and ICP-MS. These tools allow researchers to measure particle size, composition, and aggregation at the same time, giving a more complete understanding of complex samples.

This talk will introduce the basic principles of FFF and highlight three example applications: characterization of engineered nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles, analysis of biomedical nanocarriers in biological environments, and emerging clinical uses including nanoparticle-assisted antimicrobial testing. Together, these examples demonstrate how FFF provides a flexible and non-destructive approach for nanoparticle separation and characterization across materials science, biotechnology, and clinical research.