Instrumentation for capillary electrochromatography

One of the reasons for the immense interest in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is its feature to combine chromatographic selectivity with the high efficiency and the miniaturization potential of capillary electrophoresis (CE). The capability of commercial CE instruments to run CEC has enforced the readiness of users and researchers to work on this separation technique. Nevertheless, to fully exploit the potential of CEC, a routine CE device can certainly not fulfill all requirements. Two different approaches have been made to overcome this problem. The first was to modify commercial CE instruments for various demands. Pressurization of the packed capillary to prevent "air" bubble formation, gradient elution capabilities and thermostating devices allowing a greater flexibility in column designs have been implemented in CE instruments of several manufacturers. A completely different approach is the development of modular laboratory-made instrumentation dedicated to special CEC requirements. In order to increase mobile phase velocity and thus the speed of analysis the availability of voltages higher than 30 kV was accomplished in some of these devices. Gradient elution was achieved by either coupling of gradient LC systems or an electroosmotic generation of the changing eluent composition. When a pressure gradient is applied between both column ends in addition to the voltage gradient, a hybrid between capillary HPLC and CEC results. This chromatographic mode is named pressure-assisted electrochromatography (PEC). Either CE instruments equipped with additional HPLC pumps or modular laboratory-made devices are suitable for PEC. In CEC, sensitivity for UV detection is rather poor due to the short optical path length for on-column detection in capillary separation techniques. A special cell design with enhanced light path is presented and further principles like, e.g., fluorescence detection and coupling to mass spectrometry are discussed.     

Use of on-line mass spectrometric detection in capillary electrochromatography

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is a liquid phase analytical separation technique that is generally carried out with packed capillary columns by electroosmotically driven mobile phase at high electric field strength. The analytes are separated by virtue of the differences in their distribution between the mobile and stationary phases and, if charged in their electrophoretic mobilities as well. It is thus considered a hybrid of liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis and is expected to combine the high peak efficiency of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with the versatility and loading capacity of HPLC. This review explores the potential use of on-line mass spectrometric detection for CEC. It discusses key design issues that focus on the physical and electrical arrangement of the CEC column with respect to the electrospray orifice inlet. The salient features of the sheathless, sheath flow and liquid junction interfaces that are frequently employed while coupling a CEC column to an electrospray ionization mass spectrometry system are also highlighted. Possible configurations of the CEC column outlet that would obviate the need for pressurizing the capillary column are also presented. While coupling CEC with MS both the nature of the interface and the configuration of the column outlet will determine the optimal arrangement. The review also discusses bandspreading that occurs when a connecting tube is employed to transfer mobile phase from the column outlet to the atmospheric region of the electrospray source with a concomitant loss in sensitivity. Selected examples that highlight the potential of this technique for a wide range of applications are also presented.     

Capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry and its application to the analysis of biological mixtures

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) mass spectrometry (MS), with its ability to separate compounds present in extremely small volume samples rapidly, with high separation efficiency, and with compound identification capability based on molecular weight, is an extremely valuable analytical technique for the analysis of complex biological mixtures. The highest sensitivities and separation efficiencies are usually achieved by using narrow capillaries (5-50 micro m i.d.) and by using sheathless CE-to-MS interfaces. The difficulties in CE-to-MS interfacing and the limited loadability of these narrow columns, however, have prevented CE-MS from becoming a widely used analytical technique. To remedy these limitations, several CE-MS interfacing techniques have recently been introduced. While electrospray ionization is the most commonly used ionization technique for interfacing CE-to-MS, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization has also been used, using both on-line and off-line techniques. Moreover, the high concentration detection limit of CE has been addressed by development of several sample concentration and sample focusing methods. In addition, a wide variety of techniques such as capillary zone electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing, and on-column transient isotachophoresis have now been interfaced to MS. These advances have resulted in a rapid increase in the use of CE-MS in the analysis of complex biological mixtures. CE-MS has now been successfully applied to the analysis of a wide variety of compounds including amino acids, protein digests, protein mixtures, single cells, oligonucleotides, and various small molecules relevant to the pharmaceutical industry.     

毛细管电色谱和加压毛细管电色谱的进展与应用

毛细管电色谱(CEC)以内含色谱固定相的毛细管为分离柱,以电渗流为驱动力,既可以分离带电物质也可以分离中性物质。它结合了毛细管电泳和高效液相色谱两者的优点,兼具高柱效、高分辨率、高选择性和高峰容量的特点,同时具有色谱和电泳的双重分离机理。然而,“纯粹”的电色谱在实际应用中有着天然的弱点,即: 在电流通过毛细管柱中的流动相时容易产生气泡(焦耳热作用),从而使电流中断和电渗流停止,毛细管柱必须被重新用流动相润湿后方能再次使用。加压毛细管电色谱(pCEC)将液相色谱中的压力流引入CEC系统中,不仅解决了气泡、干柱等问题,而且实现了定量阀进样和二元梯度洗脱。CEC和pCEC作为微分离领域的两种前沿技术,满足了当前复杂样品分析和分析仪器微型化的需求,近年来获得了广泛的关注。本文综述了这两种技术近来的发展,包括仪器、色谱固定相的发展,总结了其在生命科学、药物分析、食品安全以及环保样品分析等方面的应用进展,评述了各方法的特点,并展望了CEC和pCEC今后的发展和应用前景。     

Suitability of automated capillary and micro liquid chromatography for routine determination of drugs in human plasma samples from clinical pharmacokinetic investigations

One of the most widely acclaimed features of capillary and microcolumn LC, in comparison with conventional HPLC, is the enormous increase in mass sensitivity. Nevertheless, application of capillary and micro LC in quantitative trace bioanalysis, characterized by weak analyte concentrations in complex matrices, can only be of any practical utility if large sample volumes can be injected onto the columns without affecting chromatographic resolution and efficiency. Two applications of large volume injection in a non-eluting solvent (on-column focusing) for the quantitative analysis of drugs in biological fluids on both capillary and micro chromatographic systems are presented: the first example deals with a new selective H₁-antihistaminic drug, mizolastine, the second one with a well known calcium antagonist, diltiazem, and its main metabolites. For both compounds, results obtained on micro and capillary LC in comparison with conventional HPLC are reported. The results demonstrate that when conventional HPLC methods are transformed into either micro or capillary LC techniques, they gain in sensitivity. By means of an on-column focusing technique, it is possible to increase the sensitivity 3–5 fold in comparison to conventional HPLC methods, but not 50–60 fold as obtained on synthetic drug solutions. Column robustness, handiness, reproducibility, and suitability of micro systems for routine bioanalysis are discussed for both capillary and micro LC columns, as well as limits of the technique in trace organic analysis problems.     

在线高效液相色谱-毛细管气相色谱联用方法的建立

建立了一种以保留间隙柱技术和阀切换以及定量管样品转移为接口并具有早期溶剂蒸气出口的在线液相色谱与毛细管气相色谱联用方法。考察了主要实验条件,如溶剂蒸发温度、载气压力等对联机系统性能的影响,并用萘和联苯对该系统的线性范围进行了测定。利用联机系统对一种轻柴油样品进行了分析。     

Reduced-bore monolithic silica column modified with C8-TEOS for reversed-phase electrochromatography

Monolithic silica columns of 2.7 mm ID were prepared and derivatized with C8-TEOS and TEOS by on-column sol-gel reaction. These C8 large diameter monolithic silica columns gave 21 000 theoretical plates for aromatic hydrocarbons in 60% acetonitrile and 40% Tris-HCI buffer. The surface areas as well as the separation reproducibility were improved on coating by the sol-gel approach. Joule heating was greatly reduced by using monolithic columns to which fine quartz sand had been added during column preparation. Since this is a preliminary investigation on a monolithic column with such a large inner diameter, the separation efficiency was not so high as that presently achieved in normal capillary electrochromatography (CEC). However, use of the columns improved sample loadability and concentration detectability of electrochromatography, and semi-preparative separations could be performed.     

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。     

一种电色谱整体微柱的制备及其分离性能

毛细管电色谱具有很高的分离效率，但也存在一些缺点，如浓度检出限差、柱容量低和工作电压太高等。为了克服这些缺点，我们在2．7mm内径的石英管内用石英砂填充硅酸钾。甲酰胺聚合整体柱，并进行了电色谱分离的可行性研究。实验结果证明这种方法是可行的。它限制了热效应，可使用常规分析仪器检测，所需工作电压不超过1000V。     

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.     

Characterization of High‐Pressure Liquid Chromatography Columns using Chromatographic Methods

Abstract

A great variety of columns for liquid chromatography (LC) are available in dimensions ranging from industrial scale to micro‐bore, nano‐bore, and capillary size, and on‐chip columns. The columns may be used in various liquid chromatography modes or in capillary electrochromatography, depending on the support materials and stationary phase chemistry. Every year many new column types are introduced on the market, with improved selectivity and efficiency, long lifetime, and mobile phase compatibility, intended for general use, for liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) applications, proteomic research, or for the analysis of other specific sample types. Considerable improvement in pH, high‐temperature, and high‐pressure stability of new column types, together with advances in the instrumentation, enabled introduction of capillary, high‐temperature, and ultra‐high‐pressure HPLC into routine practice. Even though reversed‐phase mode is still by the most widely used in contemporary LC, applications of other separation modes (such as ion, normal‐phase, or high‐interaction liquid chromatography (HILC)) have become more frequent recently, because of unique separation selectivity for certain sample types.

Characterization of column quality is not a simple task, because a number of factors should be taken into account, that affect the selectivity, efficiency and resolution of sample separation and the reproducibility of chromatographic data. These include the type of the support, the arrangement and density of the stationary phase on the adsorbent surface, the homogeneity of the chromatographic bed, etc. Various physicochemical techniques are used for characterization of the properties of column packings however, most of them are suitable for bulk materials only and cannot be directly applied for commercial columns without damaging them. Not to destroy the columns, often precious and expensive, practicing chromatographers can apply chromatographic methods to characterize columns and evaluate their analytical suitability under real‐life conditions, where the intermolecular interactions between the analytes, the stationary phase, and the mobile phases affect the retention. The present review reports various chromatographic tests and strategies available for column evaluation.     

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。     

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.     

Separation and identification of etodolac and its urinary phase I metabolites using capillary electrochromatography and on-line capillary electrochromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry coupling

Capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (capillary HPLC), pressure-assisted capillary electrochromatography (pCEC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) were performed in the same capillary packed with 5 microm octadecylsilica (C18) as stationary phase. These three separation modes were compared from the viewpoint of peak efficiency and separation selectivity in order to critically evaluate the advantages which CEC may offer compared to capillary HPLC for the solution of practical biomedical problems. The separation of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug etodolac (ET, 1) and its phase I metabolites, 6-hydroxy etodolac (6-OH-ET, 2), 7-hydroxy etodolac (7-OH-ET, 3) and 8-(1'-hydroxyethyl) etodolac (8-OH-ET, 4) was selected as an example. Baseline separation of all compounds was achieved in different modes and conditions. The effect of pure electrophoretic separation mechanism on the overall separation selectivity observed in CEC has been shown. A high electroosmotic flow (EOF) was observed in C18 packed capillary even at pH 2.5 in various buffers. Furthermore, these separations were coupled on-line with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and the parent drug and its metabolites were identified in urine. For the coupling of CEC with ESI-MS a laboratory-made electrophoretic device was used in order to overcome some technical disadvantages of commercial instrumentation.     

Gas-liquid chromatography of serum bile acids using glass capillary columns

The proposed combination of a rather simple procedure for sample preparation with capillary gas-liquid chromatography using a barium carbonate/polyethyleneglycol 20,000 column and a Grob-type on-column injector permits measurement of bile acids in serum with high separation efficiency, short analysis time and complete separation of bile acids from cholesterol. The method can be adapted to combined capillary gas-liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry.     

手性有机聚合物毛细管电色谱整体柱研究进展

毛细管电色谱具有高分离效率、多种保留机制和高选择性的优点。近年来,利用毛细管电色谱进行对映异构体的手性拆分受到了广泛关注。相对于传统的填充柱和开管柱,整体柱在手性拆分方面具有显著优势。与手性硅基整体柱相似,手性有机聚合物整体柱由于具有大孔,可产生较高的流速而压降较小。该文综述了近十年手性有机聚合物整体柱制备方法的研究进展,将手性有机聚合物整体柱的制备方法分为"原位聚合法"和"手性修饰法"两种,虽然前者制备简单并广泛应用于早期研究,但聚合混合液成分的微小改变即可引起最终聚合物的形态变化,并且大部分带丙烯基的手性选择剂较难从市场购买。因此,手性修饰法因作为手性选择剂基质的整体柱制备且优化只需进行一次的优势而受到普遍关注。亲核取代、杂环开环和点击化学是常用的修饰手段。该文总结了这两种制备方法的应用,同时对未来的研究方向提出参考性意见。     

High-efficiency peptide analysis on monolithic multimode capillary columns: Pressure-assisted capillary electrochromatography/capillary electrophoresis coupled to UV and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry

High-efficiency peptide analysis using multimode pressure-assisted capillary electrochromatography/capillary electrophoresis (pCEC/pCE) monolithic polymeric columns and the separation of model peptide mixtures and protein digests by isocratic and gradient elution under an applied electric field with UV and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) detection is demonstrated. Capillary multipurpose columns were prepared in silanized fused-silica capillaries of 50, 75, and 100 microm inner diameters by thermally induced in situ copolymerization of methacrylic monomers in the presence of n-propanol and formamide as porogens and azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. N-Ethylbutylamine was used to modify the chromatographic surface of the monolith from neutral to cationic. Monolithic columns were termed as multipurpose or multimode columns because they showed mixed modes of separation mechanisms under different conditions. Anion-exchange separation ability in the liquid chromatography (LC) mode can be determined by the cationic chromatographic surface of the monolith. At acidic pH and high voltage across the column, the monolithic stationary phase provided conditions for predominantly capillary electrophoretic migration of peptides. At basic pH and electric field across the column, enhanced chromatographic retention of peptides on monolithic capillary column made CEC mechanisms of migration responsible for separation. The role of pressure, ionic strength, pH, and organic content of the mobile phase on chromatographic performance was investigated. High efficiencies (exceeding 300 000 plates/m) of the monolithic columns for peptide separations are shown using volatile and nonvolatile, acidic and basic buffers. Good reproducibility and robustness of isocratic and gradient elution pressure-assisted CEC/CE separations were achieved for both UV and ESI-MS detection. Manipulation of the electric field and gradient conditions allowed high-throughput analysis of complex peptide mixtures. A simple design of sheathless electrospray emitter provided effective and robust low dead volume interfacing of monolithic multimode columns with ESI-MS. Gradient elution pressure-assisted mixed-mode separation CE/CEC-ESI-MS mass fingerprinting and data-dependent pCE/pCEC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of a bovine serum albumin (BSA) tryptic digest in less than 5 min yielding high sequence coverage (73%) demonstrated the potential of the method.     

Capillary Electrokinetic Chromatography (CEC): An Introduction to a High-Efficiency Microanalytical Technique

Capillary electrokinetic chromatography (CEC, also called capillary electrochromatography) is a relatively new separation technique based on a combination of liquid chromatographic and electrophoretic separation methods. CEC offers both the efficiency of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and the selectivity and sample capacity of packed capillary high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These advantages are provided in part because of the favorable flow characteristics of electroosmosis, a method of pumping a liquid by applying a high potential axially to a thin, fluid-filled tube. The speed at which analytes move through the separation conduit under the influence of electroosmosis is quite uniform, regardless of the position of the analyte with respect to adjacent surfaces (within certain limits). This results in very little spreading of zones of analyte; narrow, compact bands of analytes are therefore maintained, which results in high efficiency. Because the capillaries used in CEC are packed with HPLC packing materials, the wealth of selectivities available in HPLC are also available in CEC. The high surface area of these packing materials enables CEC capillaries to accommodate relatively large amounts of sample, making detection a simpler task than it is in capillary electrophoresis (CE). This paper will briefly visit the theory and practice of CEC, and will provide examples of how CEC can be applied in sample analysis.     

磁场辅助毛细管电色谱

磁场辅助毛细管电色谱是液相色谱研究领域中出现的新技术．它利用外加磁场的引力将置于毛细管内的具有磁响应性的硅胶微球或四氧化三铁微球固定在管内任意位置．磁场固定微球聚集体既可用作填充柱,直接用于电色谱分离;也可用作柱筛,用于填装由商品色谱填料组成的色谱柱．这一技术的优势在于制备简便易行,柱管可以再生使用,适合于微流控芯片上柱筛或柱床的制作．本文简要评述磁场辅助毛细管电色谱的进展,包括磁性色谱填料的制备,磁场固定柱床电色谱,磁性柱筛电色谱及毛细管柱内柱结构参数的测定等方面．     

On-line combination of liquid chromatography and capillary gas chromatography. Preconcentration and analysis of organic compounds in aqueous samples

This paper describes the design of a new, versatile, and low-cost on-line LC-GC interface that allows the fast and reliable introduction of large sample volumes onto a capillary GC column. The sample introduction procedure consists successively of: evaporation of the entire sample (LC fraction), selective removal of the solvent and simultaneously cold-trapping of the solutes, splitless transfer of the solutes to the GC column, on-column focusing, GC separation and detection. Quantitative and qualitative aspects of various experimental parameters are evaluated and optimum conditions are reported. The applicability of the method is demonstrated on a synthetic aqueous sample of chlorinated pesticides.