Metal components with inert vapor phase coating on internal surfaces

Abstract

The invention provides metal liquid chromatography components with uniformly coated internal surfaces and methods for achieving the same. The invention addresses the problem of corrosion or interference of metal components in the flow path for LC analyses in which the sample interacts with metal ions or surfaces. The invention also alleviates the difficulties in coating very long metal tubes and very small metal channels with an inert, continuous coating that adheres well to metal surfaces. The metal flow path is rendered inert by the coating, and thus compatible with bioanalytical separations, for example, by using a vapor phase deposition process to coat the inner surfaces with a coating that continuously covers all metal surfaces in the flow path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A coated article comprising:
 a substrate having a lumen including an interior surface; and   a coating of SiO 2 , SiC, Si 3 N 4 , SiO x C y , SiO x N y , SiC x H y , Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , Y 2 O 3  or a mixture thereof on the interior surface of the lumen placed by a thermal chemical vapor deposition.   
     
     
         22 . The coated article of  claim 21 , wherein the coating is placed on the interior surface of the lumen by reaction with an Si-based precursor gas. 
     
     
         23 . The coated article of  claim 21 , where in the coating is formed by one or more of thermal chemical vapor deposition, oxidation of the coating, and modification of the surface by an organic molecular precursor. 
     
     
         24 . The coated article of  claim 21 , wherein the coating comprises a plurality of layers each comprising a different material. 
     
     
         25 . The coated article of  claim 21 , wherein the coating is one or more of resistant to adhesion of biomolecules to the coated surface or inert to analytes in contact with the coated surface. 
     
     
         26 . The coated article of  claim 21 , wherein the coated article is a frit, a fitting, a valve, a pump component, a mixer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . A liquid chromatography technique, comprising:
 providing a liquid chromatography system having the coated article of  claim 21 ;   transporting a fluid additive to contact the coated article, wherein the fluid additive is prone to interaction with metal surfaces, metal oxide surfaces, or silicon-based coating surfaces.   
     
     
         28 . A thermal chemical vapor deposition process, comprising:
 introducing Si-based precursor gas into a vessel; and   producing a thermal chemical vapor deposition coating on an article within the vessel by reaction of the Si-based precursor gas.   
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 28 , further comprising oxidation of the coating, and modifying a surface of the coating by an organic molecular precursor. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the thermal chemical vapor deposition coating comprises a plurality of layers each comprising a different material. 
     
     
         31 . A liquid chromatography component, comprising:
 a substrate; and   an amorphous coating on the substrate, the amorphous coating having a base layer and a surface layer, the base layer including carboxysilane.   
     
     
         32 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the amorphous coating comprises carbon, hydrogen, silicon, oxygen, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the substrate is metal or metallic; and wherein the substrate is stainless steel or an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         34 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the amorphous coating is at least partially formed from dimethylsilane or trimethylsilane. 
     
     
         35 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 23 , wherein the amorphous coating is at least partially formed from oxidation. 
     
     
         36 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the amorphous coating has a thickness of greater than 100 nanometers. 
     
     
         37 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the amorphous coating has a thickness of between 500 nanometer and 3,000 nanometers. 
     
     
         38 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the amorphous coating is positioned on regions of the liquid chromatography component that are unable to be concurrently coated through line-of-sight techniques. 
     
     
         39 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the liquid chromatography component is tubing. 
     
     
         40 . The liquid chromatography component of  claim 31 , wherein the liquid chromatography component has channels, curves, threading, vanes, protrusions, cavities, junctions, mating interfaces, or a combination thereof.