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Title: Enabling Microscale Processing: Combined Raman and Absorbance Spectroscopy for Microfluidic On-Line Monitoring

Journal Article · · Analytical Chemistry
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2]
  1. College of Idaho, Caldwell, ID (United States)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  3. Spectra Solutions Incorporated, 1502 Providence Highway, Norwood, Massachusetts 02062-4643, United States
  4. Montpellier Univ. 2 (France)

Microfluidics have many potential applications including characterization of chemical processes on a reduced scale, spanning the study of reaction kinetics using on-chip liquid–liquid extractions, sample pretreatment to simplify off-chip analysis, and for portable spectroscopic analyses. The use of in situ characterization of process streams from laboratory-scale and microscale experiments on the same chemical system can provide comprehensive understanding and in-depth analysis of any similarities or differences between process conditions at different scales. A well-characterized extraction of Nd(NO3)3 from an aqueous phase of varying NO3– (aq) concentration with tributyl phosphate (TBP) in dodecane was the focus of this microscale study and was compared to an earlier laboratory-scale study utilizing counter current extraction equipment. Here, we verify that this same extraction process can be followed on the microscale using spectroscopic methods adapted for microfluidic measurement. Concentration of Nd (based on UV–vis) and nitrate (based on Raman) was chemometrically measured during the flow experiment, and resulting data were used to determine the distribution ratio for Nd. Extraction distributions measured on the microscale were compared favorably with those determined on the laboratory scale in the earlier study. Both micro-Raman and micro-UV–vis spectroscopy can be used to determine fundamental parameters with significantly reduced sample size as compared to traditional laboratory-scale approaches. This leads naturally to time, cost, and waste reductions.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1783814
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-156894
Journal Information:
Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 93, Issue 3; ISSN 0003-2700
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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