Field-Flow Fractionation of Nano- and Microparticles in a Rotating Coiled Column

Theoretical aspects, fields, and examples of application of the method of field-flow fractionation of nano- and microparticles in a rotating coiled column (RCC) proposed at the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences are considered. Particular attention is paid to the use of this method in the study of environmental samples—soil, volcanic ash, and urban dust. Possibilities of method application to the fractionation and purification of functional materials, including chromatographic sorbents, are described. A possibility of scaling up the particle separation process in a RCC is demonstrated. Prospects for using this method in the fabrication of standard samples of natural nanoparticles are assessed.