Inverse gas chromatography

Inverse gas chromatography is a physical characterization technique that is used in the analysis of the surfaces of solids. Traditional GC is an analytical technique.

Inverse gas chromatography or IGC is a highly sensitive and versatile gas phase technique developed over 40 years ago to study the surface and bulk properties of particulate and fibrous materials. In IGC the roles of the stationary (solid) and mobile (gas or vapor) phases are inverted from traditional analytical gas chromatography (GC). In GC, a standard column is used to separate and characterize several gases and/or vapors. In IGC, a single gas or vapor (probe molecule) is injected into a column packed with the solid sample under investigation. Instead of an analytical technique, IGC is considered a materials characterization technique.