Coupling of inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution (IGC-ID) with a controlled modification of a solid surface

This paper presents a new method for studying the surface of a heterogeneous solid by inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution (IGC-ID). After saturating the high-energy sites by impregnation with a suitable polymer, the chromatographic probes visit the low energy sites, which are not visible by conventional IGC-ID. This method has been used to study the two types of surface of talc: lateral and basal surfaces. In the second part of the paper the influence of the structure of the polymer on the impregnation is examined. In particular it is shown that a polymer with a linear structure is more able to fit a rough surface than is a branched or a cyclic polymer.