Gradient elution techniques for capillary electrochromatography

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is a rapidly maturing technique, but still in need of further instrumental development and in need of unique applications that are not possible by traditional pressure-driven LC. We review the development of gradient elution schemes for CEC, beginning with pH gradients initially developed for capillary electrophoresis. Step gradients are the most easily instrumentally implemented, but provide less flexibility in separation than continuous gradients. Pressure-assisted CEC is easily adapted to gradient elution schemes, but does not offer the advantages of very high column efficiency provided by totally electro-driven mobile phases. The development of flow-injection interfaces allows a true solvent gradient to be generated by micro-LC pumps, with the mobile phase drawn into the separation capillary by pure electroosmotic flow. While requiring both a CEC instrument and a traditional pump or pumps capable of generating the gradient, this method offers advantages of greatly reduced column handling, prolonging column lifetimes, and allows simple autosampling. We also discuss voltage gradients, which provide a mobile phase velocity gradient.     

Capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry for the separation and identification of isomeric polyaromatic hydrocarbon DNA adducts derived from in vitro reactions

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is an emerging technique that combines features of both micro-capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (microHPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). This separation technique possesses high speed and the efficiency of an electro-driven system, while the selectivity and sample loadability compare to those of a packed capillary LC column. Since the separation mechanism is based on that of HPLC, the concept of isoeluotropic strength and selectivity of solvents as well as the on-column focusing techniques for sample introduction used in LC can be applied in CEC. This article examines some of these features of CEC in the context of our own experiences with the technique. More specifically, emphasis is placed on applications of CEC to the analysis of DNA adducts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons by coupling CEC to mass spectrometry. It is shown that, with proper selection of mixed organic modifiers in the mobile phase, i.e. ternary and quaternary mobile phases, complex DNA adduct mixtures derived from in vitro reactions can be separated isocratically with improved selectivity and much greater speed than by HPLC. Additionally, the speed of the analysis is further enhanced by employing a step gradient. Furthermore, CEC may be easily coupled to mass spectrometry such that the characterization of each isolated component from the mixtures is performed on-line with the separation. By using on-column focusing, the sample loadability onto a CEC column is improved.     

使用含离子涂层柱的毛细管电泳和毛细管电色谱的研究进展

 毛细管电色谱是近年发展起来的高效、高选择性的微分离技术。与一般的毛细管电泳和使用ODS反相填料的毛细管电色谱相比 ,含离子涂层柱的毛细管电泳和毛细管电色谱能提供较大且可控的电渗流 ,便于拓宽分离对象 ,优化分离条件。对使用含离子涂层柱的毛细管电泳和电色谱的特点、发展和应用状况进行了综述。     

Capillary electrochromatography of proteins with polymer-based strong-cation-exchanger microspheres

Monodisperse poly(glycidyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) microspheres were functionalized with propyl sulfonic acid moieties to obtain beads negatively charged in a wide pH range. They were packed into fused-silica capillary of 50 micro, I.D. in order to separate proteins by capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Baseline separation of four basic proteins as well as three cytochrome c variants with an average column efficiency of 60,000 theoretical plates was obtained under isocratic elution conditions. The high efficiency is attributed to the uniformity of the column packing and the hydrophilic surface coverage of the polymer beads derived from the functionalization process. The effect of pH and salt concentration on protein separations was investigated and the results showed that the CEC separation mechanism is the combination of chromatographic retention and electrophoretic migration. Moreover, the column packed with the strongly acidic poly(glycidyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) beads was also suitable for protein separations by micro-HPLC with a salt gradient. The comparison between the two kinds of elution modes shows that the column described here exhibited higher peak efficiency with isocratic elution in CEC than with gradient elution in micro-HPLC.     

毛细管电中中性溶质在氰基柱上分离机理的研究

 对中性溶质在氰基柱上的毛细管电色谱（CEC）分离特征进行了研究 ,讨论了流动相中有机调节剂种类及其体积分数、缓冲液种类等对溶质迁移速率的影响。通过对样品在氰基柱上的分离行为与其在反相ODS柱和正相SI柱上的分离行为的比较 ,说明中性溶质在氰基柱上的分离机理既具有部分反相特征又具有部分正相特征。受两种机理的影响 ,在不同的操作条件下极性不同的中性溶质在氰基柱上的迁移速率差别很大 ,较一般的正相和反相电中更易出现出峰顺序变化的现象 ,也说明这种分离模式更易于进行分离选择性调节。     

Capillary electrochromatography of peptides and proteins

This paper reviews recent progress in bioanalysis using capillary electrochromatography (CEC), especially in the field of separation of proteins and peptides. Fundamentals of CEC are briefly discussed. Since most of the recent developments on CEC have focused on column technology, i.e., design of new stationary phases and development of new column configurations, we describe here a variety of column architectures along with their advantages and disadvantages. Newly emerged column technologies in CEC for high speed and high efficiency separation are also discussed. Different analytical platforms of CEC such as pressure-assisted CEC or voltage-assisted micro- high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), CEC with different detection techniques, CEC on microchip platforms and multidimensional electrochromatography with their applications in peptide and protein analysis are presented.     

Comparison of separation behavior of benzodiazepines in packed capillary electrochromatography and open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

Packed column capillary electrochromatography (CEC), open-tubular CEC and microcolum liquid chromatography (LC) using a cholesteryl silica bonded phase have been studied to compare the retention behavior for benzodiazepines. It has been found that packed column CEC gives better resolution, faster analysis time than microcolumn LC for benzodiazepines maintaining similar selectivity except for some solutes which are charged species under the separation conditions. However, open-tubular CEC gave different selectivities to a larger extent for charged benzodiazepines from that which should be produced by the chromatographic properties of the cholesteryl silica phase. Charged species migration times are mainly influenced by electrophoretic mobility rather than the chromatographic interactions.     

Column technology for capillary electrochromatography

Column technologies for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) are reviewed. To achieve high efficiency, the inner diameters of open-tubular and packed columns should be less than 25 and 200 μm, respectively. To obtain acceptable separation speed under typical CEC conditions (e.g. 30 kV, 1 mm s⁻¹ electroosmotic flow velocity, and 2–4×10⁻⁸ m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ electroosmotic mobility) the column lengths for open-tubular and packed columns should be less than 120 and 60 cm, respectively. Capillary CEC columns are generally classified into three types: packed, open-tubular, and continuous-bed or monolithic. The various column preparation procedures and the advantages and disadvantages of each column type are discussed in detail.     

Recent development of monolithic stationary phases with emphasis on microscale chromatographic separation

The column technologies play a crucial role in the development of new methods and technologies for the separation of biological samples containing hundreds to thousands compounds. This review focuses on the development of monolithic technology in micro-column formats for biological analysis, especially in capillary liquid chromatography, capillary electrochromatography and microfluidic devices in the past 5 years (2002-2007) since our last review in 2002 on monoliths for HPLC and CEC. The fabrication and functionalization of monoliths were summarized and discussed, with the aim of presenting how monolithic technology has been playing as an attractive tool for improving the power of existing chromatographic separation processes. This review consists of two parts: (i) the recent development in fabrication of monolithic stationary phases from direct synthesis to post-functionalization of the polymer- and silica-based monoliths tailoring the physical/chemical properties of porous monoliths; (ii) the application of monolithic stationary phases for one- and multi-dimensional capillary liquid chromatography, fast separation in capillary electro-driven chromatography, and microfluidic devices.     

甲基丙烯酸基质的毛细管电色谱整体柱的制备与应用

以甲基丙烯酸(MAA)为功能单体,同时又作电渗流改性剂, 乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EDMA)为交联剂,甲苯和异辛烷为致孔剂,Irgacure 1800为光引发剂,采用紫外光引发原位聚合反应制备出毛细管电色谱整体柱.对影响电渗流的因素如pH、乙腈含量及离子强度等进行了讨论.使用制备的整体柱在3种模式(加压电色谱、气压驱动和电色谱)下对7种中性物质(硫脲、苯、甲苯、乙苯、萘、联苯和菲)的混合物实现基线分离,同时还可实现酸性物质(邻羟基苯甲酸、苯甲酸、苯乳酸、扁桃酸)和碱性物质(苯胺、甲苯胺、乙酰基苯胺和N-甲基苯胺)的快速分离.     

Separation of enantiomers by packed capillary electrochromatography on a cellulose-based stationary phase

Separation of enantiomers was performed by applying packed capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Fused-silica capillaries of different lengths with an inner diameter of 100 microm were packed with a cellulose derivative immobilized onto macroporous silica gel. Parameters such as content of modifier in the mobile phase, concentration and pH of the buffer were varied for a set of test capillaries to determine their influence on enantioselectivity. In packed CEC the highest influence on resolution of the test racemates was found by changing the acetonitrile content, while variation of the buffer concentration mostly affects the electroosmotic velocity. The performance of packed CEC and nano-LC was also compared. Packed CEC showed much better column efficiency and enantioselectivity under similar flow/electroosmotic velocity.     

Recent progress in enantiomeric separation by capillary electrochromatography

Recent progress in enantiomeric separations by capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is reviewed. The development of simple and robust CEC column technologies plays an important role for popularization of CEC. During the last several years, various approaches for the preparation of enantioselective columns have been reported. Currently, the monolithic column technology (continuous beds) represents the most advanced approach for the preparation of CEC columns. The development of new chiral stationary phase used for CEC is another important issue in this field. Fundamental investigations on electrochromatographic behaviors of various CSPs are necessary in order to understand the separation mechanism and thus improve the separation performance. Some chiral stationary phases performed better under nonaqueous CEC conditions than reversed-phase conditions. Coupling CEC with mass spectrometry (MS) provides a powerful tool for enantiomeric separation. Finally, some applications of enantiomeric separation by CEC are summarized.     

Separation of carbonyl 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones by capillary electrochromatography with diode array detection.

The applicability of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with photodiode array detection for the analysis of carbonyl hydrazones is presented. The CEC separation of thirteen hydrazones was optimized by a systematic variation of conditions using a commercially available CE system and a 3-micron porous C18-bonded silica capillary column. The separation profile obtained under optimal isocratic conditions (60% actonitrile-4% tetrahydrofuran-5 mM Tris, pH 8) is similar to those reported for gradient HPLC, with significant improvements in efficiency (to 150,000-250,000 theoretical plates/m) and analysis time (by a factor of 4). The retention time reproducibility is better than 0.2% (RSD) from run to run and 1% from day to day. The limits of detection for individual carbonyl hydrazones range between 0.1 and 0.5 microgram/ml. Applications to ambient air and automobile exhaust are shown.     

Enantiomeric separation by capillary electrochromatography using monolithic capillaries with sol-gel-glued cyclodextrin-modified silica particles

By an on-column sol-gel process, a chiral monolithic stationary phase was prepared by the fusion of permethyl-beta-cyclodextrin-silica (Chira-Dex-silica) particles and by linking them to the internal capillary wall. The resulting monolith is stable toward voltage (30 kV) and pressure (300 bar) and possesses a high efficiency (up to 100,000 theoretical plates per meter). Efficient enantiomeric separation of various chiral compounds by pressure-supported capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was achieved. When comparing this method to capillary liquid chromatography (LC) employing the same column in an unified equipment, CEC shows a twofold higher column efficiency at comparable elution times and hence better resolution factors.     

Joule heating and determination of temperature in capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography columns

This article reviews the progress that has taken place in the past decade on the topic of estimation of Joule heating and temperature inside an open or packed capillary in electro-driven separation techniques of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC), respectively. Developments in theoretical modeling of the heat transfer in the capillary systems have focused on attempts to apply the existing models on newer techniques such as CEC and chip-based CE. However, the advent of novel analytical tools such as pulsed magnetic field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), NMR thermometry, and Raman spectroscopy, have led to a revolution in the area of experimental estimation of Joule heating and temperature inside the capillary via the various noninvasive techniques. This review attempts to capture the major findings that have been reported in the past decade.     

分子印迹聚合物颗粒在毛细管电色谱中的应用

依据分子印迹技术(MIT)制备的分子印迹聚合物(MIP)颗粒对模板分子及其结构类似物具有特异性识别和选择性吸附作用,同时具有较大的比表面积和快速的传质动力学特性,因而被广泛用作液相色谱固定相和固相萃取材料。将MIP颗粒作为固定相应用于毛细管电色谱(CEC),结合了CEC的快速、高效和MIP的高亲和性、高选择性的特点,成为分析科学领域最具有发展前景的分离技术之一。MIP颗粒在CEC领域有几种不同的应用形式: 作为填充材料填充到毛细管柱中;作为嵌入材料嵌入到毛细管柱内部不同基质的骨架中;作为准固定相添加到CEC运行缓冲溶液中。本文综述了近几年MIP颗粒在CEC领域应用的发展,对该领域今后的发展前景进行了展望。     

Interplay of chromatographic and electrophoretic processes in capillary electrochromatography

The separation mechanism in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is a hybrid differential migration process, which entails the features of both high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis, i.e., chromatographic retention and electrophoretic migration. The adsorption of the different sample components on the stationary phase can be modified by the presence of the electric field across the column. Here, we use our previously published approach to decouple chromatographic retention from electrophoretic migration that allows us to investigate the "modification" of the retention process in CEC. This paper presents a methodology for characterization of changes in the retention of neutral and charged sample components, under identical conditions of stationary and mobile phase.     

Dynamics of capillary electrochromatography. II. Comparison of column efficiency parameters in microscale high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrochromatography.

In capillary electrochromatography (CEC) the flow of the mobile phase is generated by electrosmotic means in high electric field. This work compares band spreading measured experimentally in several packed capillaries with electrosmotic flow (EOF) and viscous flow under otherwise identical conditions. The data were fitted to the simplified van Deemter equation for the theoretical plate height, H = A + B/u + Cu, in order to evaluate parameters A and C in each mode of flow in the different columns. The ratio of these two parameters obtained with the same column in microscale HPLC (mu-HPLC) and CEC was used to quantify the attenuation of their contribution to band spreading upon changing from viscous flow (in mu-HPLC) to electrosmotic flow (in CEC). The capillary columns used in this study were packed with stationary phases of different pore sizes as well as retentive properties and measurements were carried out under different mobile phase conditions to examine the effects of the retention factor and buffer concentration. In the CEC mode, the value of both column parameters A and C was invariably by a factor of two to four lower than in the mu-HPLC mode. This effect may be attributed to the peculiarities of the EOF flow profile in the interstitial space and to the generation of intraparticle EOF inside the porous particles of the column packing. Thus, band spreading due to flow maldistribution and mass transfer resistances is significantly lower when the mobile phase flow is driven by voltage as in CEC, rather than by pressure as in mu-HPLC.     

Separation of 4-dimethylamino-6-(4-methoxy-1-naphthyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2-hydrazine derivatives of carbonyl compounds by reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography

4-Dimethylamino-6-(4-methoxy-1-naphthyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2-hydrazine (DMNTH) is a novel derivatizing reagent specially designed for the determination of carbonyl compounds. In this work, we describe the separation of DMNTH-derivatized carbonyl compounds by reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography (CEC). After systematic investigations of the effects of experimental conditions viz. pH and concentration of buffer, type of stationary phase, injection volume of sample, organic modifier, and temperature, optimal conditions were found. The sample compounds, which were separated with gradient high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were separated by CEC under isocratic elution due to the high efficiency. Comparisons of separations by CEC and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) were made.