Combination of electrophoresis,chromatography, and magnetism in a single separation technique: Part 1: a first theoretical evaluation

Magnetic nanoparticles incorporated into the layer of a (polymeric) sorbent, covering the inner surface of a fused silica capillary, can produce—upon applying an electric field across the capillary length—an electromagnetic field that would affect to some extent the separation of charged analytes. A first theoretical assessment of such phenomenon is given here with a view of developing a novel hybrid separation technique based on the principles of electrophoresis, chromatography, and magnetism. Specifically, the effect of built-in magnetic nanoparticles, varying in absolute number, on the strength of axial electric field in an open-tubular column for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) column for CEC—being expressed through the associated changes in near-wall dielectric constant—was analyzed using linearized Poisson–Boltzmann equation.