Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis using non-dissociating solvents. Application to the separation of highly hydrophobic oligomers

The application of non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis for the separation of very hydrophobic oligomers has been studied. N-Phenylaniline oligomers having degrees of polymerisation (n) of 2, 4, 6, and 8 were taken as model compounds. Capillary electrophoresis could be performed using a mixture of non-aqueous solvents with a high percentage of solvents with a low dielectric constant. These solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), chloroform or dichloromethane, are needed to solubilise the hydrophobic solutes in the electrolyte. The composition of the solvent mixture and the nature of the acid added to the electrolyte, which is needed to obtain electrophoretic motion of the N-phenylaniline oligomers, are discussed in detail. Next, other parameters such as ionic strength, injection time, electric field, and temperature were investigated too and their influence on the separation is discussed as well. The existence of a reversed (anodic) electroosmotic flow in a fused-silica capillary containing a THF-methanol mixture under acidic conditions is reported.     

Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis

The benefits of non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis have been described in a number of recent publications. The wide selection of organic solvents, with their very different physicochemical properties, broadens our scope to manipulate separation selectivity. The lower currents present in non-aqueous solvents allow the use of high electric field strengths and wide bore capillaries, the latter in turn allowing larger sample load. In many cases detection sensitivity can also be enhanced. The potential of non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis is discussed throughout the paper, and the feasibility of capillary electrophoresis under non-aqueous media is demonstrated with reference to several applications.     

Monitoring of the electroosmotic flow of ionic liquid solutions in non-aqueous media using thermal marks

The possibility of applying a new method employing thermal marks to measuring the rate of the electroosmotic flow (EOF) in non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) was investigated. The thermal marks were monitored by using a contactless conductivity detection. During one experiment and in between the series of experiments the reproducibility of the method was excellent. The EOF rate was measured 4-7 times during one experiment, the precision of measurement being around 0.5%. In this study, the influence of 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium salts in organic solvents on the rate of the EOF was investigated. Various organic solvents were mixed with an ionic liquid of various concentrations and the EOF rate was measured using thermal marks. The accuracy of the method was compared with that of the neutral marker one. Five benzoic acid derivatives were separated while the EOF was monitored. The relative standard deviations of the corrected effective mobilities of the above analytes were in the range of 1.0-6.1%.     

Specific background electrolytes for nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis

The use of organic solvents or mixture of solvents in capillary electrophoresis is gaining wider attention. The electroosmotic flow mobility of eight organic solvents (acetonitrile, acetone, dimethylformamide, dimetylsulphoxide, propylene carbonate, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol) and of mixtures of several solvents (methanol-acetonitrile, methanol-propylene carbonate, acetonitrile-propylene carbonate) has been studied. The influence of 1,3-alkylimidazolium salts in different solvents on the separation of different analytes has been investigated. Some of these salts have shown usefulness for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization matrices and off-line analysis of electrophoresis fractions. It also appears that nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis with 1,3-alkylimidazolium salts as background electrolytes is suitable for separation small inorganic ions.     

The principles of migration and dispersion in capillary zone electrophoresis in nonaqueous solvents

Nonaqueous solvents are interesting media for capillary zone electrophoresis as they can affect all relevant parameters governing the separation of sample zones. However, for a rational planning of the working conditions and an appropriate interpretation of the results obtained, the basic principles of ion migration and zone dispersion must be understood. Many solvent induced effects need to be carefully considered and recognized before full exploitation of nonaqueous solvents can take place. It is the goal of this overview to present the fundamental physicochemical aspects of capillary zone electrophoresis in nonaqueous solvent systems. Therefore, the detailed discussion is related to the effect of organic solvents on electrophoretic mobilities (based on the theory of conductance), acid-base dissociation behavior (based on the transfer activity coefficient and medium effect), pH, separation efficiency (with regard to mobility and diffusion coefficient in dilute solutions), resolution, and electroosmotic flow.     

电解质溶液组成对低分子量阴离子毛细管电泳分离的影响

研究了毛细管电泳间接紫外检测法测定低分子量阴离子时电解质溶液中背景电解质、电渗流改性剂、ｐＨ值、有机溶剂等对分离的影响；比较了铬酸根、邻苯二甲酸根、苯甲酸根３种背景离子对不同迁移率阴离子分离的影响，并对间接紫外检测的定量基础及灵敏度进行了讨论；考察了３种不同长链烷基三甲基季铵盐电渗流改性剂浓度对阴离子迁移时间和电渗迁移率的影响，结果表明电渗流的改性效果与烷基链的长度有关；ｐＨ影响阴离子的有效迁移率     

Impact of organic solvents on the resolution of synthetic peptides by capillary electrophoresis

The effect of variations in the concentrations of different organic solvents, including acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, propanol and isopropanol, with aqueous buffer electrolytes of defined composition and pH on the electroosmotic flow velocity, v(EOF), of uncoated fused silica capillaries and on the electrophoretic mobility, mu(e), of synthetic peptides in high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) has been systematically investigated. In these experiments, the volume fractions of the organic solvent in the aqueous buffer electrolyte were changed from psi = 0.0 to 0.80. The addition of these organic solvents to the aqueous buffer electrolyte reduced the electroosmotic flow (EOF) of the system, but to significantly different extents. For the protic solvents as the alkyl chain of the alcohol increased, at the same volume fraction the greater was the influence on the electroosmotic flow. However, for the aprotic solvent, acetonitrile, the EOF did not change substantially as the volume fraction was varied. The electrophoretic mobility of synthetic peptides under the different buffer electrolyte conditions showed similar trends, confirming that the content and type of the organic modifier can be rationally employed to subtly manipulate the separation selectivity of synthetic peptides. These results, therefore, provide fundamental insight into the experimental options that can be used to maximise resolution of synthetic peptides in HPCE with aqueous buffer-organic solvent mixtures as well as a basis to select optimal binary or ternary buffer electrolyte compositions for the analysis of peptides when hyphenated techniques, such as HPCE-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), are contemplated for the analysis of peptide samples of low abundance as can often be experienced in proteomic investigations.     

N-methylformamide as a separation medium in capillary electrophoresis

Summary The organic solvent N-methylformamide (NMF) has been used as a separation medium in capillary electrophoresis. The advantageous properties of this compound are its high dielectric constant, high solubilizing power and low conductivity, as well as its amphiprotic character. It was shown that, unlike for most organic solvents, the electroosmotic flow is substantial. It was found to be possible to utilize NMF without added electrolyte. Field strengths exceeding 1000 volts/cm could be employed, while a low current was maintained and it was thus possible to obtain rapid analyses. Also, the properties of NMF allowed the analysis of substances with a low solubility in aqueous media. These features are exemplified by separation of carboxylic acids and pharmaceuticals. Excellent reproducibility of migration and no sign of electrical breakdown were observed, even under high field strength conditions.Presented at the Sixth International Symposium on High Performance Capillary Electrophoresis, Jan. 31–Feb. 9, 1994, San Diego, USA, Poster #P-113.     

Solvent-bar microextraction of herbicides combined with non-aqueous field-amplified sample injection capillary electrophoresis

Solvent-bar microextraction (SBME) based on two-phase (water-to-organic) extraction was for the first time used as the sample pretreatment method for the non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) of herbicides of environmental concern. Due to the compatibility of the extractant organic solvent and the NACE separation system, the extract could be introduced directly to the CE system after SBME. Through investigations of the effect of sample pH, extraction time, agitation speed and salt addition on extraction efficiency, the most suitable extraction conditions were determined: sample solution at a pH of 1, without added salt, and stirring at 700 revolutions per minute for 30 min. SBME as applied here was also compared with single-drop microextraction and hollow fiber-protected liquid-phase microextraction. SBME showed the highest extraction efficiency. In addition, field-amplified sample injection with pre-introduced organic solvent plug removal using the electroosmotic flow as a pump (FAEP) was used to enhance the sensitivity further in NACE. Based on studies of the effect of different organic solvents, different lengths of the organic plugs and different volumes of sample injection on stacking efficiency under the most suitable separation conditions, methanol was found to be the most efficient solvent for on-line preconcentration. Combined with SBME, FAEP-NACE achieved limits of detection of between 0.08 ng/mL and 0.14 ng/mL for the studied analytes. This preconcentration approach for NACE was demonstrated to be amenable to aqueous environmental samples by applying it to spiked river water.     

Chiral separation of amines with N-benzoxycarbonylglycyl-L-proline as selector in non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis using methanol and 1,2-dichloroethane in the background electrolyte

N-Benzoxycarbonylglycyl-L-proline (L-ZGP) has been introduced as a chiral selector for enantioseparation of amines in non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis. Methanol mixed with different proportions of dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane or 2-propanol containing L-ZGP and ammonium acetate was used as the background electrolyte. Enantioseparation of different types of pharmacologically active amines was performed, e.g. the local anaesthetic bupivacaine and the beta-adrenoceptor blocking agent pindolol. Addition of the solvents (dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane or 2-propanol) gave an improved chiral separation partly due to a distinct decrease in the electroosmotic flow. The use of 1,2-dichloroethane in the background electrolyte gave higher precision in migration time (RSD 2.2%) compared to the systems containing dichloromethane. An enantiomeric separation of mepivacaine was performed within 72 s by use of short-end injection with an effective capillary length of 8.5 cm.     

Separation of derivatized carbohydrates by co-electroosmotic capillary electrophoresis

Summary The separation of derivatized carbohydrates has been performed by co-electroosmotic capillary electrophoresis. Derivatization was performed by reductive amination of the carbohydrates with ethylp-aminobenzoate or withp-aminobenzonitrile. Separation selectivity is optimized using buffer electrolytes containing high concentrations of borate, organic solvents, and mixtures thereof; this enabled separation of the carbohydrate derivatives then direct UV detection. Co-directional migration of the anionic analytes with the electroosmotic flow was achieved by adding a cationic polyer (hexadimethrine bromide, HDB) to the electrolyte. With this method it is possible to determine specific carbohydrates, such as arabinose, mannose, and glucose, which are difficult to separate by other CE methods. The applicability of the method is demonstrated for the analysis of plant hydrolyzates     

Determination of low-molecular-mass organic acids in any type of beer samples by coelectroosmotic capillary electrophoresis

A separation and determination of a mixture of 19 low-molecular-mass organic acids usually present in beer samples was developed using coelectroosmotic capillary zone electrophoresis. A polycation (hexadimetrine bromide, HDB) has been added to the electrolyte, which dynamically coats the inner surface of the capillary and causes a fast anodic electroosmotic flow. The main factors affecting reversal of the EOF such as type of modifier and concentration and influence of organic solvents were studied. Three types of modifiers, two alkylammonium salts (cethyltrimethylammonium bromide and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide) and a polycation (HDB) were investigated. The composition of the running buffer results on a 25% 2-propanol, 0.001% HDB and 50 mM sodium phosphate. The different instrumental parameters affecting the capillary electrophoretic separation were also optimized resulting on a -15 kV voltage with a hydrodynamic injection for 7 s with a UV detection at 210 nm. The applicability of the present method has been demonstrated for the determination of organic acids in different beer samples.     

Method optimization in capillary zone electrophoretic analysis of hGH tryptic digest fragments

The mobile phase composition was optimized for the separation of tryptic digest fragments of human growth hormone by capillary zone electrophoresis. The effect of pH (pH 2.4, 6.1, 8.1 and 10.4) was evaluated since pH determines the relative charge of species, the prime contributor to selectivity; pH 8.1 was selected for the optimization studies. Tricine (buffer), sodium chloride (ionic strength adjustor), and morpholine (mobile phase additive) concentrations were systematically varied a pH 8.1. All three exhibited major effects on the electroosmotic flow velocity and current, and minor effects on selectivity. Tricine was the most crucial for good resolution, although addition of morpholine helped to resolve closely eluting species. The optimum separation conditions were found to be pH 8.1 with 0.1 M tricine, 0.02 M morpholine and no salt.     

Separation and determination of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid in royal jelly by capillary electrophoresis

Summary The application of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to the separation and determination of the active ingredient, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, in royal jelly with direct on-column UV detection at 214 nm is described. Using a cathodic injection and anodic detection scheme, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) was separated and detected in less than 10 min in a fused silica capillary column with a phosphate buffer at pH 7.3 with an applied voltage of 20 KV followed by direct UV detection. The use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as electroosmotic flow modifier allows the rapid separation of 10-HDA from other constituents in royal jelly by reversing the direction of electroosmotic flow. The influence of organic solvents in the electrolyte on separation selectivity is also discussed.     

聚合离子液体用作毛细管电泳背景电解质添加剂快速高效分离5种核苷类化合物

将聚乙烯基-3-乙基咪唑溴盐离子液体用作毛细管电泳背景电解质添加剂,利用聚合离子液体的阳离子聚合物性质静电吸附到毛细管内表面,成功实现电渗流的有效反转,建立了共电渗流模式下5种核苷类化合物分离的新方法。考察了聚合离子液体浓度、pH值等因素对电渗流的影响。在优化实验条件下,3.1 min内实现了对5种核苷类化合物的快速高效分离;将该方法分别与不加添加剂和加入离子液体单体后的体系进行对比,结果表明,该方法大大缩短了5种核苷类化合物的分析时间,提高了分析效率,最高柱效达95万/m塔板数,分析物的迁移时间RSD均不高于0.38%。该方法简单、快速、重复性好,具有很好的应用前景。     

Effect of the flow profile on separation efficiency in pressure‐assisted reversed‐polarity capillary zone electrophoresis of anions: Simulation and experimental evaluation

Capillary electrophoresis connected to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is a promising combination to analyze complex biological samples. The use of sheathless electrospray ionization interfaces, such as a porous nanoelectrospray capillary emitter, requires the application of forward flow (either by pressure or electroosmosis) to maintain the electrospray process. The analysis of solute molecules with strong negative charges (e.g., aminopyrenetrisulfonate labeled glycans) necessitates a reversed‐polarity capillary electrophoresis separation mode, in which case the electroosmotic flow is counter current, thus pressure assistance is necessary. In this study, we compared the effect of forced convection with and without counter electroosmotic flow on the resulting separation efficiency in capillary electrophoresis based on flow profile simulations by computational fluid dynamics technique and by actual experiments. The efficiencies of the detected peaks were calculated from the resulting electropherograms and found approximately 950 000 plates/m for electrophoresis with counter electroosmotic flow, 20 000 plates/m with pressure only (such as would be in open tubular liquid chromatography), and 480 000 plates/m for electrophoresis with simultaneous counter electroosmotic flow and forward pressure assistance, which validates the simulation data.     

Parameters influencing separation and detection of anions by capillary electrophoresis

Electrolyte composition is critical in optimizing separation and detection of ions by capillary electrophoresis. The parameters which must be considered when designing an electrolyte system for capillary electrophoresis include electrophoretic mobility of electrolyte constituents and analytes, detection mode, and compatibility of electrolyte constituents with one another. An electrolyte system based on pyromellitic acid is well suited for use with indirect photometric detection, and provides excellent separations of anions. The ability to modify the electrophoretic mobility of pyromellitic acid as a function of ph provides flexibility in matching electrophoretic mobilities of analytes. Additionally, the use of alkyl amines as electroosmotic flow modifiers allows the rapid separation of anions by reversing the direction of electroosmotic flow in a fused-silica capillary. The optimization of a capillary electrophoresis electrolyte for anion analysis is also discussed in terms of pH, ionic strength and applied voltage. The effect of organic solvent on separation selectivity is also discussed.     

Partial-filling micellar electrokinetic chromatography and non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of selected agrochemicals

Selected agrochemicals (s-triazines and phenoxy acids) have been investigated with partial-filling micellar electrokinetic chromatography (PFMEKC) and non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE). Because these two techniques are compatible for coupling of capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry, different conditions affecting the separation efficiency (reproducibility, method linearity) were systematically tested, and the results were compared with those from classical MEKC. The conditions tested included buffer molarity, pH, the concentrations of the organic modifier and surfactant, the applied voltage, the injection time of the sample, and the length of the partial-filling plug. The respective limits of detection (LOD) using UV-detection were determined. Reduction of the electrophoretic raw data using the mobility scale transformation (micro-scale) improved qualitative comparison of the electropherograms and the reproducibility of quantitative data (integrated peak area) thus extending this data treatment from CZE to other endoosmotic flow-driven CE-techniques such as PFMEKC and NACE.     

酸性药物的反向电渗流高效毛细管电泳分离分析研究

以水杨酸、乙酰水杨酸为代表药物,采用十六烷基三甲基溴化铵（ＣＴＡＢ）为电渗流改向剂,考察了酸性药物在反向电渗流高效毛细管电泳体系中的分离行为,并对其中影响迁移时间、峰形及柱效的诸多因素进行了系统研究。研究结果表明,以阳离子表面活性剂作为电渗流改向剂的反向电渗流高效毛细管电泳体系能显著加快酸性药物的分析速度。对于ＣＴＡＢ与酸性药物相互作用导致峰形展宽、柱效降低的现象,可通过加入合适的有机添加剂（如β－环糊精或乙腈）加以改善。     

Chiral separation of dansyl amino acids by capillary electrophoresis: Comparison of formamide andN-Methylformamide as background electrolytes

Summary Chiral separation of 12 dansyl amino acids has been achieved by capillary electrophoresis using -cyclodextrin dissolved inN-methylformamide or formamide. The viscosity and the dielectric constants of these two solvents are very different, giving them disimilar electrophoretic properties. Intense electroosmotic flow, high electrophoretic mobilities and high efficiency were achieved inN-methylformamide, but high chiral selector concentration was needed for sufficient resolution. In contrast, the separation of dansyl amino acids in formamide was characterized by longer analysis time and lower efficiency, but the resolution and selectivity of the separation were better and baseline separation could be achieved at lower -cyclodextrin concentrations.