Miniaturization and microfabrication of analytical instrumentation for chemical and biological analyses has been proceeding at a rapid pace for a few decades, and has gained momentum in the past decade with the introduction and application of microfabricated instruments. Motivating factors for performing microscale separations and analyses are reduced reagent, solvent and sample consumption, re...

Superheated water is liquid water under pressure between 100°C and its critical temperature of 374°C. The rationale for using superheated water is explained. An overview of the work on its use for separation processes is given. The work that has been carried out is mostly of laboratory scale, although some pilot studies and small industrial processes are described. INTRODUCTION It is useful to ...