Sub-femtomole determination of DABSYL-amino acids with capillary zone electrophoresis separation and laser-induced thermo-optical absorbance detection

Fifteen amino acids are determined as the DABSYL (4-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4'-sulfonyl chloride) derivative with capillary zone electrophoresis separation and low-power laser-induced thermo-optical detection. Separation efficiencies are on the order of 200 000 theoretical plates and the detection limit, 3 s, is 200 attomole of glycine injected onto the column. At the detection limit, 0.7 attomole of glycine is present within the 40 picoliter detection volume.