Abstract
In this paper, a novel procedure for preparing calibration solutions for capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based quantitative analysis is proposed. Our approach, named the automated hydrodynamically mediated technique (AHMT), uses a capillary and a pressure system to deliver the expected amount of working solution and diluent directly to a sample vial. As a result, calibration solutions are prepared automatically inside the CE instrument, without any or with minimal manual operation. Two different modes were tested: forward and reverse, differing in the direction of hydrodynamic flow. The calibration curves obtained for a model mixture of analytes using AHMT were thorough compared to the standard procedure based on manual pipetting. The results were consistent, though the volume of obtained calibration solutions and the potential risk of random errors were significantly minimized by AHMT. Its effectiveness was further enhanced by the application of SCIEX® nanoVials, reducing the actual volume of calibration solutions down to 10 μL.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in methods focusing on the automation of sample pre-treatment and analysis, as well as implementation of the rules of ‘green chemistry’ [1]
We show for the first time how to prepare calibration solutions using only a commercially available capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument and unmodified software
WS and a 10-times, water-diluted background electrolyte spiked with IS (DBGE) were transferred to the empty PCR vial for 10 min with the pressure of 137.90 kPa (20 psi) each
Summary
There has been increasing interest in methods focusing on the automation of sample pre-treatment and analysis, as well as implementation of the rules of ‘green chemistry’ [1]. Automation enables lessening reagents’ consumption, decreasing the amount of chemical waste. It shortens the time of the whole analysis process and limits the influence of the operator on basic validation parameters, such as accuracy, precision, repeatability, and linearity. There are some commercially available online dilution systems dedicated to ICP-MS [9], ICP-OES [10], and HPLC [11,12] Such systems enable preparation of solutions at desired concentration levels by setting the dilution factor using the appropriate software provided to program the dilution procedure, as well as later peaks integration and the automatic calibration procedure. Arce et al [13] proposed a device for preparation of calibration solutions composed of peristaltic pumps, a mixing coil, and a programmable arm, which directly transfers obtained standard sample vials to the inlet table of the CE instrument
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