Progress in the development of MEMS-based micro-gas chromatographs

Gas chromatographs are widely used in fields such as petrochemicals, biomedicine, and environmental protection. However, traditional gas chromatographs are bulky and exhibit high power consumption, limiting their suitability for in-situ detection. Micro-gas chromatographs (μGC) developed using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology have attracted considerable interest owing to their compact size and low power consumption. This paper reviews the research progress of common micro-chromatographic chips employed in μGC, including micro-preconcentrators, micro-valves, micro-columns, micro-detectors, and integrated chips. Implementing these components at the chip level can substantially reduce the volume, weight, and power consumption of gas chromatography systems. The paper also details two integration approaches and the characteristics of μGC systems based on micro-chromatographic chip fabrication. Hybrid integrated systems utilizing discrete micro-chromatographic chips offer advantages such as low fabrication complexity, component independence, ease of optimization and control, and high cost-effectiveness.