Separate detection of BTX mixture gas by a microfluidic device using a function of nanosized pores of mesoporous silica adsorbent.

We achieved separate detection of the components of 10 ppm of a benzene, toluene, and o-xylene mixture gas by using mesoporous silica powder incorporated in our microfluidic device. The device consists of concentration and detection cells formed of 3 cm x 1 cm Pyrex plates. We first introduced the mixture gas into the concentration cell where it was adsorbed on an adsorbent in a channel formed in the cell. We then raised the temperature using a thin-film heater and introduced the desorbed gas into the detection cell. Here, we measured the changes in the absorption spectra of the mixture gas in the detection cell. We found that the mixture ratio of the compounds in the desorbed gas varies with time because the thermal desorption property of each compound is different from that of the adsorbent. We analyzed the thermal desorption mechanism by comparing two types of silica adsorbents with different pore structures. We found that an adsorbent that has pores with a periodic and uniform nanosized column shape provides better component separation. We concluded that the uniform pore structure might cause the adsorbate molecules to exhibit a homogeneous adsorption state thus revealing the desorption properties of the gas more clearly.