On-line sample concentration in micellar electrokinetic chromatography with cationic micelles in a coated capillary

The electroosmotic flow was successfully suppressed even in the presence of cationic surfactants, when a polyacrylamide-coated capillary was employed. Two on-line sample concentration techniques of sample stacking and sweeping were evaluated in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) using the polyacrylamide-coated capillary. Cationic surfactants were used as pseudostationary phases in MEKC. At least 60-fold and about 600-fold increases in detection sensitivity were obtained in terms of peak heights by sample stacking and sweeping, respectively.     

Flow manipulation for sweeping with a cationic surfactant in microchip capillary electrophoresis

Flow manipulation in sweeping microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE) is complicated by the free liquid communication between channels at the intersection, especially when the electroosmotic flows are mismatched in the main channel. Sweeping in traditional CE with cationic micelles is an effective way to concentrate anionic analytes. However, it is a challenge to transfer this method onto microchip CE because the dynamic coating process on capillary walls by cationic surfactants is interrupted when the sample solution free of surfactants is introduced into the microchip channels. This situation presents a difficulty in the sample loading, injection and dispensing processes. By adding surfactant at a concentration around the critical micelle concentration and by properly designing the voltage configuration, the flows in a microchip were effectively manipulated and this sweeping method was successfully moved to microchip CE using tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB). The sweeping effect of cationic surfactant in the sample solution was discussed theoretically and studied experimentally in traditional CE. The flows in a microchip were monitored with fluorescence imaging, and the injection and sweeping processes were studied by locating the detection point along the separation channel. A detection enhancement of up to 500-fold was achieved for 5-carboxyfluorescein.     

Metal complex separation with on-line sample preconcentration in micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) using a cationic surfactant as a pseudostationary phase was examined to separate anionic metal cyclohexane-1,2-diaminetetraacetic acid (CDTA) complexes. Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) was employed as the cationic surfactant micelle, its addition leading to EOF reversal. Cu(II), Co(II), Zn(II), Mn(II) and Pb(II) were used as test analytes, and the complete separation was obtained by MEKC. On-line sample preconcentration by sweeping was also examined to improve the detection sensitivity. From 15- to 42-fold increases in the detection sensitivity in terms of the peak heights were obtained by sweeping with a cationic micelle in the presence of high EOF. The limits of detection were in the range (0.6 - 1.8) x 10(-6) M with UV detection without any off-line preconcentration step.     

Comparison of two capillary electrophoresis online stacking modes by analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in airborne particulates

Naphthalene, fluorene, pyrene, anthracene, phenanthrene, and chrysene were successfully separated by CD-modified MEKC (CD-MEKC) using 20 mM borate (pH 9.0) containing 90 mM SDS and 75 mM beta-CD. Two online stacking methods, i.e., sweeping and field-enhanced sample injection (FESI), were explored to enhance the detection sensitivity. The influences of some crucial parameters in sweeping and FESI procedures were investigated. For FESI method, a plug of water and low-conductivity sample matrix was used to increase the stacking efficiency. Compared with the sweeping method, FESI can increase the sensitivity in the range of 10-20-fold. The proposed method was used for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in airborne particulates.     

pH-mediated acid stacking with reverse pressure for the analysis of cationic pharmaceuticals in capillary electrophoresis

When using capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the analysis of biological samples, it is often necessary to employ techniques to overcome peak-broadening that results from having a high-conductivity sample matrix. To improve the concentration detection limits and separation efficiency of cationic pharmaceuticals in CE, pH-mediated acid stacking was performed to electrofocus the sample, improving separation sensitivity for the analyzed cations by 60-fold. However, this method introduces a large titrated acid plug into the capillary. To overcome the limitations this low-conductivity plug poses to stacking, the plug was removed prior to the separation step by applying reverse pressure to force it out of the anode of the capillary. Employing this technique allows for roughly twice the volume of sample to be injected. A maximum sample injection time of 240 s was attainable with baseline peak resolution compared to a maximum sample injection time of 120 s without reverse pressure, leading to a twofold decrease in the limits of detection of the analytes used. Separation efficiency overall is also improved when utilizing the reverse pressure step. For example, a 60 s sample injection time results in 94,000 theoretical plates as compared to 60,500 theoretical plates without reverse pressure. This reverse-pressure method was used for detection and quantitation of several cationic pharmaceuticals that were prepared in Ringer's solution to simulate microdialysis sampling conditions.     

On.column pre‐concentration of alcohol dehydrogenase in capillary electrophoresis

The analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) at low concentration using capillary electrophoresis is described. Several simple and effective ways to improve detection limits and sensitivity are investigated. These include large volume sample stacking, head column field amplified sample stacking, and sweeping. Results indicate that by using a combination of head‐column field amplified sample stacking and sweeping, fluorescently labelled alcohol dehydrogenase can be pre‐concentrated online by dissolving samples in water or other low conductivity matrices, and injecting into a high conductivity micellar buffer. The abrupt changes in conductivity cause narrowing of the analyte length and thus enhance the detection sensitivity. Combination of this approach with laser induced fluorescence detection yields a limit of detection of 5×10^–13 M. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this method are investigated.     

Analyses of tobacco alkaloids by cation-selective exhaustive injection sweeping microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography

In this study, an on-line concentration method which coupled cation-selective exhaustive injection (CSEI) sweeping technology with microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) was used to detect and analyze several tobacco alkaloids (nornicotine, anabasine, anatabine, nicotine, myosmine and cotinine) that are commonly found in various tobacco products. First, the effects of microemulsion compositions (oil, cosurfactant and solution pH) were examined in order to optimize the alkaloid separations in conventional MEEKC. The pH value and the injection length of basic plug were found to be the predominant influences on the alkaloid stacking. This optimal CSEI sweeping MEEKC method provided approximately 180- to 540-fold increase in detection sensitivity in terms of peak height without any loss in separation efficiency when compared to normal MEEKC separation. Furthermore, this proposed CSEI sweeping MEEKC method was applied successfully for the detection of the minor alkaloids nornicotine, anabasine and anatabine in tobacco products.     

Sample stacking and sweeping in microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography under pH-suppressed electroosmotic flow

Two on-line sample concentration techniques, sample stacking and sweeping under pH-suppressed electroosmotic flow, were evaluated in microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography. The concept of stacking with anion selective electrokinetic injection and a water plug in a reverse-migrating microemulsion (SASIW-RMME) was brought forward in this article. Six flavonoids were concentrated using a microemulsion consisting of 80 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate, 1.2% (v/v) ethyl acetate, 0.6% (v/v) 1-butanol, 10% acetonitrile (v/v) and 50 mM phosphoric acid (pH* 1.8). Significant detector response improvements were achieved. The limits of detection were in the low ng/ml level. Finally, the sample of Fructus aurantii Immaturus was analyzed using sweeping technique.     

High-salt stacking principles and sweeping: comments and contrasts on mechanisms for high-sensitivity analysis in capillary electrophoresis

High-salt stacking in electrokinetic chromatography (EKC) is defined and contrasted to the sweeping method. A recent paper argued the two methods are identical, where high concentrations of micelle in the sample were intended to mimic the effect of high-salt stacking. However, high micelle concentration in the sample matrix in EKC is analogous to using a high-conductivity sample instead of a low-conductivity sample in field amplified stacking. High-salt stacking does not require a sample free of pseuostationary phase, only a sample with a high-mobility co-ion compared to the separation buffer electrokinetic vector. High-salt stacking uses a discontinuous buffer system and should not be confused with continuous buffer stacking systems such as sweeping.     

Large volume sample stacking of positively chargeable analytes in capillary zone electrophoresis without polarity switching: use of low reversed electroosmotic flow induced by a cationic surfactant at acidic pH

A simple and effective way to improve detection sensitivity of positively chargeable analytes in capillary zone electrophoresis more than 100-fold is described. Cationic species were made to migrate toward the cathode even under reversed electroosmotic flow caused by a cationic surfactant by using a low pH run buffer. For the first time, with such a configuration, large volume sample stacking of cationic analytes is achieved without a polarity-switching step and loss of efficiency. Samples are prepared in water or aqueous acetonitrile. Aromatic amines and a variety of drugs were concentrated using background solutions containing phosphoric acid and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Qualitative and quantitative aspects are also investigated.     

Improving sensitivity by large-volume sample stacking combined with sweeping without polarity switching by capillary electrophoresis coupled to photodiode array ultraviolet detection

An easy, simple, and highly efficient on-line preconcentration method for polyphenolic compounds in CE was developed. It combined two on-line concentration techniques, large-volume sample stacking (LVSS) and sweeping. The analytes preconcentration technique was carried out by pressure injection of large-volume sample followed by the EOF as a pump pushing the bulk of low-conductivity sample matrix out of the outlet of the capillary without the electrode polarity switching technique using five polyphenols as the model analytes. Identification and quantification of the analytes were performed by photodiode array UV (PDA) detection. The optimal BGE used for separation and preconcentration was a solution composed of 10 mM borate-90 mM sodium cholate (SC)-40% v/v ethylene glycol, without pH adjustment, the applied voltage was 27.5 kV. Under optimal preconcentration conditions (sample injection 99 s at 0.5 psi), the enhancement in the detection sensitivities of the peak height and peak area of the analytes using the on-line concentration technique was in the range of 18-26- and 23-44-fold comparing with the conventional injection mode (3 s). The detection limits for (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) were 4.3, 2.4, 2.2, 2.0, and 1.6 ng/mL, respectively. The five analytes were baseline-separated under the optimum conditions and the experimental results showed that preconcentration was well achieved.     

Stacking due to ionic transport number mismatch during sample sweeping on microchips

Sample stacking can occur in isoconductive buffer systems as a result of ion transport mismatches that cause changes in buffer conductivity during electrophoresis. Fluorescence imaging was used to examine this effect in the sweeping of hydrophobic dyes with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on microchips. Imaging revealed the occurrence of a stacking effect in a sodium borate buffer system in which the sample buffer and SDS-containing run buffer had the same initial conductivity. Injected sample plugs were first swept by SDS micelles and the swept band was then stacked at the trailing end of the sample zone. This effect is due to changes in conductivity at both the front and back interfaces of the injected sample plug and can be modeled by moving boundary equations. Maximum signal enhancements of 86-, 160- and 560-fold were obtained for Rhodamine 560, Rhodamine B and Rhodamine 6G, respectively, by the combination of sweeping and stacking within a 1 cm section of microchannel. Based on sample sweeping/stacking and manipulation of the electric field polarity, a method of trapping and concentrating analyte from multiple injections was also demonstrated.     

On-line preconcentration strategies for analyzing pesticides in fruits and vegetables by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Five pesticides (fludioxonil, procymidone, pyriproxyfen, dinoseb and carbendazim) were separated in reversed migration micellar electrokinetic chromatography (RM-MEKC) using 20 mmol l(-1) phosphate buffer at pH 2.3, containing 25 mmol l(-1) sodium dodecylsulfate and 10% methanol. Three on-line concentration strategies, sweeping (SW), normal stacking with reversed migration and a water plug (SRW) and stacking with reverse migration and removal of sample matrix using polarity switching (SRMM), were compared. About 10-, 30- and 50-fold increases in detection sensitivity, compared with standard hydrodynamic injection (5 s at 0.5 psi), were observed with SW, SRW and SRMM, respectively. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.002 to 0.03 microg ml(-1) using only the on-line preconcentration procedures without any off-line concentration of the extract. A solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure, for previous isolation and concentration of the analytes, was used in combination with any of the proposed on-line preconcentration strategies, which achieves the determination of pesticides at limits of quantification (LOQs) lower than 0.01 mg kg(-1). The recoveries obtained by SPE in samples spiked at 0.01 mg kg(-1) were between 70 and 100%, with RSDs between 10 and 18% using SRMM. Samples of fruits and vegetables were taken from the market, extracted by the proposed procedure and analyzed with RM-MEKC with the on-line strategies.     

Ionic liquids based on imidazole for online concentration of catecholamines in capillary electrophoresis

Potential possibilities of long‐chain ionic liquids based on imidazole (1‐dodecyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride and 1‐cetyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride) for online sample concentration techniques (field‐amplified sample stacking, head‐column field‐amplified sample stacking, and sweeping) of catecholamines were studied in both capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography. The use of a high‐conductivity sample matrix in sweeping was found to significantly increase the separation efficiency of analyte up to 2 × 10⁶ theoretical plates per meter and remarkably reduce limits of detection for catecholamines up to 50 ng/mL. This approach was shown to be suitable for the determination of trace amounts of catecholamines in biological fluids.     

Pesticide analysis by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

On-capillary sample concentration using sample stacking for the improvement of detection limits for various pesticides separated by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography was examined. The dependence of the stacking on different parameters was investigated. An approximately 30-fold preconcentration was achieved by applying sample stacking. Employing a two-step enrichment process (solid-phase extraction combined with sample stacking), detection limits were improved and the sample volume for SPE was reduced. In addition, the total time for the analysis was considerably reduced. Detection limits were between 0.01 and 0.1 ng/ml under these enrichment conditions.     

On-line preconcentration methods for capillary electrophoresis

The limits of detection (LOD) for capillary electrophoresis (CE) are constrained by the dimensions of the capillary. For example, the small volume of the capillary limits the total volume of sample that can be injected into the capillary. In addition, the reduced pathlength hinders common optical detection methods such as UV detection. Many different techniques have been developed to improve the LOD for CE. In general these techniques are designed to compress analyte bands within the capillary, thereby increasing the volume of sample that can be injected without loss of CE efficiency. This on-line sample preconcentration, generally referred to as stacking, is based on either the manipulation of differences in the electrophoretic mobility of analytes at the boundary of two buffers with differing resistivities or the partitioning of analytes into a stationary or pseudostationary phase. This article will discuss a number of different techniques, including field-amplified sample stacking, large-volume sample stacking, pH-mediated sample stacking, on-column isotachophoresis, chromatographic preconcentration, sample stacking for micellar electrokinetic chromatography, and sweeping.     

pH-mediated field-amplified sample stacking of pharmaceutical cations in high-ionic strength samples

Capillary electrophoretic separation of samples of physiological origin typically have both poor resolution and efficiency due to destacking. We have previously reported a stacking method for concentration of catecholamines in artificial dialysate, or Ringer's solution. However, pH-mediated sample stacking of other cations has not been investigated. In this report, pH-mediated stacking has been extended to eletripan, dofetilide, doxazosin, sildenafil, UK-103,320, UK-202,581, and CP-122,288. These compounds were chosen without prior structural screening except that they were cationic at the pH of our background electrolyte (BGE). Capillary electrophoretic behavior of samples in BGE is compared with those of samples in Ringer's solution with and without pH-mediated acid stacking. Results indicate that the peak heights and efficiencies for acid-stacked samples are increased compared to the unstacked samples in Ringer's solution or BGE. For example, the peak efficiencies for 5 s injections of eletriptan in BGE and Ringer's solution are 138,000 and 72,000 plates, respectively. In contrast, a 10 s injection of eletriptan followed by acid injection for 16 s produces a peak with 246,000 plates. Evaluation of the stacking effect was performed by comparison of the peak height at similar peak efficiencies for samples in Ringer's solution with and without stacking. Using this method, pH-mediated acid stacking provides a 10- to 27-fold sensitivity enhancement for the seven cations.     

Strategies for the on-line preconcentration and separation of hypolipidaemic drugs using micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Three strategies were investigated for the simultaneous separation and on-line preconcentration of charged and neutral hypolipidaemic drugs in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). A background electrolyte (BGE) consisting of 20 mM ammonium bicarbonate buffer (pH 8.50) and 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used for the separation and on-line preconcentration of the drugs. The efficiencies of sweeping, analyte focusing by micelle collapse (AFMC), and simultaneous field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) and sweeping, were compared for the preconcentration of eight hypolipidaemic drugs in different conductivity sample matrices. When compared with a hydrodynamic injection (5 s at 50 mbar, 0.51% of capillary volume to detection window) of drug mixture prepared in the separation BGE, improvements of detection sensitivity of 60-, 83-, and 80-fold were obtained with sweeping, AFMC and simultaneous FASS and sweeping, respectively, giving limits of detection (LODs) of 50, 36, and 38 μg/L, respectively. The studied techniques showed suitability for focusing different types of analytes having different values of retention factor (k). This is the first report for the separation of different types of hypolipidaemic drugs by capillary electrophoresis (CE). The three methods were validated then applied for the analysis of target analytes in wastewater samples from Hobart city.     

Separation and on-line concentration of bisphenol A and alkylphenols by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with cationic surfactant

The separation and on-line concentration of bisphenol A and three alkylphenols were investigated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with cationic surfactant. Tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide was used as surfactant and the separation conditions were optimized by the addition of the organic solvents and cyclodextrins to the running solution. The separation of hydrophobic analytes and 4-nonylphenol isomers was improved by the addition of 20% acetonitrile and 20 mM beta-cyclodextrin to the running solution. When the sweeping with the running solution used as the on-line concentration procedure, 56-, 67- and 29-fold increase in detection sensitivity of bisphenol A, 4-tert.-butylphenol and 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol, respectively. The detection limits were 0.030, 0.098 and 0.159 mg/l, respectively.     

Two-step stacking in capillary zone electrophoresis featuring sweeping and micelle to solvent stacking: II. Organic anions

Two-step stacking of organic anions by sweeping and micelle to solvent stacking (MSS) using cationic cetyltrimethylammonium micelles in co-electroosmotic flow (co-EOF) capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) is described. The co-EOF condition where the direction of the EOF is the same as the test anions was satisfied by positive dynamic coating of a fused silica capillary with hexadimethrine bromide. The strategy was as follows. After conditioning the capillary with the background solution (BGS), a micellar solution (MS) was injected before the sample solution (S). The BGS, MS and S have similar conductivities. Voltage was applied at negative polarity. The analytes in the micelle-free S zone were swept by micelles from the MS. The swept analytes were brought by the micelles to the MSS boundary where the second stacking step was induced by the presence of organic solvent in the BGS. Finally was the separation of concentrated analytes by CZE. The effect of electrolyte concentration in the S, injection time of the MS and the S and surfactant concentration in the MS were studied. A 20-29, 17-33 and 18-21 times increase in peak height sensitivity was obtained for the test hypolipidaemic drugs (gemfibrozil, fluvastatin and atorvastatin), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (diflunisal, naproxen, ketoprofen, indoprofen and indomethacin), and herbicides (mecoprop and fenoprop), respectively. The LODs (S/N=3) were from 0.05 to 0.55 μg/mL. The intraday and interday repeatabilities (%RSD, n=12) in terms of retention time, corrected peak area, and peak heights was less than 3.6, 8.9, and 10.8%, respectively. The application of sweeping and MSS in co-EOF CZE together with a simple extraction procedure to a waste water sample spiked with the test herbicides was also demonstrated.