[khelz]

Hi Guys,

I am currently working on a portable Ion Mobility Spectrometry in a liquid medium and to do so with flexibility I need to use a non-electrolyte, which is also have a viscosity of 1 Cs or less (less viscous than water).

The only ones I found so far were all the hydrocarbons ones like Hexane, Heptane, Benzene etc. which I can't use since we do not have the necessary equipment to handle them in the lab. Liquid properties is really not my field so if you think of anything that is less viscous than water and that is a non-electrolyte, please let me know since this could actually solve all the challenges we are currently facing.

Thank you,
Khelz

[Archer]

You could try hydrofluoro ethers.

 http://www.acota.co.uk/products/Novec-Fluids

These are expensive compared to alkanes but they have favourable properties when it comes to handling.

[Enthalpy]

Hi khelz, welcome here!

Some data for viscosity at Engineeringtoolbox as usual:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/absolute-viscosity-liquids-d_1259.html

Some non-conductive liquids here, thin, and decently safe - I ignore what an ion mobility spectrometer demands more.

Simple alkanes, slightly longer than hexane, are decently safe yet can be thinner than water.
n-decane would be such one;
ramified alkanes around C₁₂ maybe;
White spirit is a combination of such alkanes, and the thinnest variants woud fit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_spirit
don't expect any kind of reproducibility with this petroleum distillate. Viscosity is easily measured with home-made means.

Toluene and the xylene isomers fit your query:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylene
they are all good solvents as well. Safe enough to be paint thinners. Ortho-xylene's flash point is only +17°C, toluene's is +6°C, less than perfect. m- and p- xylene have +25°C.

Many freons would be excellent... But their use and availability are restricted. Fluorocarbons are, up to now, less restricted than CFC. Perfluorodecalin is reasonably available, but I have no viscosity data.