Open-tubular Electrochromatography Research Articles

In-situ immobilization of covalent organic frameworks as stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography

A new kind of covalent organic framework (COF) was first utilized as an stationary phase for open-tubular electrochromatography (OT-CEC) by in situ synthesis immobilized method at room temperature. On the basis of our previous work, 4,4′,4″-(1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-triyl)trianiline (TZ) and 2,5-bis(2-propyn-1-yloxy)-1,4-benzenedicarboxaldehyde (BPTA) were employed as building blocks for the synthesis of COF TZ-BPTA. The coated capillary and COF TZ-BPTA were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also applied to characterize COF TZ-BPTA and the modified column. In SEM, it can be seen that COF TZ-BPTA was the spherical shape and the modified capillary was covered with globular particles equably. The COF TZ-BPTA coated column exhibited good separation resolution and efficiency towards two antiepileptic drugs and other kinds of small organic molecules involving alkylbenzene, sulfonamides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), parabens, amino acids and herbicides. The maximum column efficiency was over 2.8 × 105 plates·m−1. In addition, the precisions (RSDs) of the retention times for the alkylbenzenes of intra-day runs (n = 3), inter-day runs (n = 3) and column-to-column runs (n = 3) were all less than 1.70% and separation performance was without obvious change within 100 times run. In addition, the real sample was tested on COF TZ-BPTA coated column. Hence, COF TZ-BPTA showed great potential in the separation domain.

Open-tubular capillary electrochromatography with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin imprinted polymers: hybrid polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane as a coating for enantioseparation.

A hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) imprinted coating based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) for open tubular electrochromatography was prepared. The mixture of methacryl-POSS (MA0735), HP-β-CD (template), methacrylic acid (MAA, monomer), N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA, crosslinker) and toluene-dimethyl sulfoxide (porogen) was used to synthesize the chiral selective coating. The influence of synthesis parameters on the imprinting effect and separation performance, including the amount of HP-β-CD, POSS, and MAA, was investigated systemically. The optimum polymerization was prepared by mixing HP-β-CD, MA0735, MAA, and MBA with the molar ratio of 1 : 1.87 : 1.60 : 1.60. Five racemates were separated by the modified capillary columns using aqueous buffer. Column efficiency on the POSS-based MIPs coating column was greater than 22 000 plates/m. MIPs-POSS hybrid coating capillaries had improved resolution (3.36 times) and the greatest resolution was up to 6.15 within 10 min.

Investigation of poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-vinylsulfonic acid) as retentive and electroosmotic flow generating phase in open-tubular electrochromatography

In this work, a new sulfonated polystyrene based porous layer was synthesized on the wall of a capillary by a single step in situ polymerization process. To obtain a capillary suited for electrochromatography, vinylsulfonic acid (VSA) was, next to divinylbenzene (DVB), copolymerized to induce charges for the electroosmotic flow (EOF) generation. The VSA ratio in the monomer mixture and the polymerization time were optimized while the chromatographic characteristics of the obtained open tubular columns were investigated in electrochromatography. To allow unambiguous study of only chromatographic processes, evaluations were performed with a mixture of sufficiently retained and electrophoretically neutral parabens. Comparison of SEM pictures and chromatograms revealed that the polymerization time had a great influence on the polymer layer morphology and on the chromatographic performance. An increase in the VSA ratio, led to an increase in the mobile phase velocity but simultaneously lowered paraben retention. The novel optimized stationary phase could generate a stable and significant electro-osmotic flow (EOF) of 1.1mm/s over a wide pH range which could be produced in a reproducible manner. Minimal plate heights of 10μm, equivalent to the capillary internal diameter, were obtained. The open-tubular character of this optimized porous layer column allowed successful analyses at elevated temperature, resulting in a maximum efficiency of 85,500 plates for a 75cm capillary and linear velocities up to 1.4mm/s. Finally, a thermal gradient was successfully applied, leading to artificial sharpened peaks with a peak capacity of 55 in a 20min time span.

Nanochitosan crosslinked with polyacrylamide as the chiral stationary phase for open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography

Nanoparticles exhibiting favorable surface-to-volume ratios create efficient stationary phases for electrochromatography. New nanomaterials derived from chitosan (CS) were immobilized onto modified capillaries for use as the chiral stationary phase (CSP) in open-tubular electrochromatography. This immobilization was achieved through the copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate-modified nano-CS with methacrylamide (MAA) and bis-acrylamide crosslinkers (forming the MAA-CS capillary) rather than the attachment of nano-CS to the copolymer of glycidyl methacrylate, MAA, and bis-acrylamide (forming the MAA+CS capillary). The completed MAA-CS capillary and its precursors were examined by SEM and ATR-IR measurements. Before separating chiral samples, the MAA-CS capillary was characterized by electroosmotic flow measurements at varying pH values, concentrations, and volume percentages of organic modifiers in the running buffers. Tryptophan enantiomers were well separated by the MAA-CS capillary, whereas no enantioselectivity was observed in the MAA+CS capillary. With the addition of 80% MeOH into the phosphate buffer, the chiral separation of (±)-catechin was accomplished in a normal-phase mode. However, the new CSP has its limitations, as only two groups of α-tocopherol stereoisomers were separated.

Chiral separation of acidic drug components by open tubular electrochromatography using avidin immobilized capillaries

Avidin was immobilized covalently onto the inner surface of fused silica capillaries as a stationary phase in an open tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT–CEC) for chiral separations. The modification was attained by a combination of glutaraldehyde with both an amino-silylated fused silica surface and avidin using a Schiff base formation reaction. This method couples the advantage of high efficiency and small consumption of a chiral selector with the possibility of UV detection without limitations of protein absorption. In addition, the prepared capillary was stable for 50 days with over 100 runs. To evaluate the electrochromatographic performance of the prepared capillaries, the chiral separation of abscisic acid and arylpropionic acids were investigated. Effects of the modification condition of protein, pH of running buffer, and an organic modifier on the enantioseparation were also investigated. In addition, the avidin immobilized capillary was employed for the selective chiral analysis with an electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) detection scheme.

The use of etched, chemically modified, rectangular capillaries as a separation medium for open tubular capillary electrochromatography

The use of etched, chemically modified, capillaries with a rectangular inner channel for open tubular electrochromatography is investigated. Comparisons of separation capabilities are made between circular and rectangular capillaries undergoing the same etching and chemical modification processes. With the long dimension of the rectangular column aligned in the direction of the optical light path, the relative sensitivities of the two capillary geometries are evaluated. The electrochromatographic properties of two catechins found in tea are investigated on the rectangular etched octadecyl-modified capillary.

Use of inorganic salts during the etching process in the fabrication of chemically modified capillaries for open tubular electrochromatography

Capillaries for use in electrophoretic analyses are etched with ammonium bifluoride and in some cases a second inorganic salt is included in the process. The effects of the presence of these inorganic components in the surface matrix on the electromigration of heterocyclic aromatic amines and enkephalins are evaluated. Resolution, efficiency, and peak shape are used to compare the various columns. In one instance, the etched surface is then modified by the addition of an octadecyl moiety using a silanization/hydrosilation procedure. The surface properties of the various etched capillaries are also compared by electroosmotic flow measurements.

Comparison of silanization/hydrosilation and organosilanization modification procedures on etched capillaries for electrokinetic chromatography

Etched capillaries for use in open tubular electrochromatography are modified by silanization/hydrosilation and organosilanization. The migration behavior of both types of capillaries is evaluated with small basic molecules, peptides and proteins. Comparisons of peak symmetry and efficiency are used to measure the effectiveness of the two methods for modifying the etched surface. From this information, the suitability of each method for use with etched capillaries can be determined.

Capillary Coated with Layer-by-Layer Assembly of γ-Zirconium Phosphate/ Lysozyme Nanocomposite Film for Open Tubular Capillary Electrochromatography Chiral Separation

A new capillary coating of alternate γ-zirconium phosphate lysozyme fabricated for open-tubular electrochromatography enantioseparation. The chiral compounds D, L-tryptophan tested were enantiomerically resolved. The influences brought by experimental parameters, such as organic modifier, temperature, applied voltage and pH of running buffer on the performance of the column, were investigated.

Properties of poly-aminophenylboronate coatings in capillary electrophoresis for the selective separation of diastereoisomers and glycoproteins

The polymerisation of 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA) in aqueous environment has been used for the open tubular modification of capillary electrophoresis (CE) capillaries. Being poly-APBA endowed with boronic acid, aromatic rings and secondary amines groups, it posses a variety of functional groups affecting selectivity. Diastereoisomers (e.g. ascorbic and isoascorbic acid) and proteins (e.g. haemoglobins) were successfully separated onto poly-APBA column, by means of a combination of electrophoresis and open tubular electrochromatography. The mechanism of selection was investigated: results indicate an interplay between enhancing or silencing the contribution of the protonable functionalities (amino groups, boronic acid). The properties of APBA polymer coating make it attractive for CE separation and for further application in affinity separations and chip technologies.

Application of open tubular electrochromatography for acidic and basic analytes

The separation of charged analytes by electrochromatography has been examined on porous-layer open tubular capillaries prepared using the sol gel method. An electroosmotic flow of about 2.10×104 cm2V1s1 was obtained using between 10 and 30% acetonitrile in the mobile phase. Acidic diuretic drug compounds were successfully separated at high pH as were theN-alkylanilines in their basic and neutral forms. The limitation of open tubular columns was observed on separating some basic pharmaceutical drugs. These components showed severe peak tailing and were not resolved on a 20 μm i.d. porous silica layer open tubular column. Strongly acidic components could not be detected on these columns due to their higher counter electromobilities. The successful separation of neutral aryl alkyl ketones with an efficiency of 101,533 plates m1 for butyrophenone was an indication of the improved phase ratio on this type of open tubular columns.

Influencing electroosmotic flow and selectivity in open tubular electrochromatography by tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin as capillary wall modifier

A physically adsorbed and covalently bonded porphyrin derivative, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin, H 2TPFPP, has been used as a fused-silica capillary wall modifier in open tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC), and its influence on the electroosmotic flow (EOF) velocity and on the selectivity of OT-CEC separations of a set of model aromatic carboxylic acids has been tested. Whereas most of the coatings of this category bring about an increase in selectivity with a concomitant slow down of the EOF, H 2TPFPP coating, depending on pH of the background electrolyte used, resulted both in decreasing of EOF at pH 8.5 by 5% and in increasing of EOF by 10–43% at pH 6 and 5, respectively. The separation efficiency and the resolution of aromatic carboxylic acids separation in coated capillaries, namely in that one with covalent coating, were better than in the bare fused-silica capillary. The perspectives of H 2TPFPP as capillary wall modifier are visualized in introducing well defined electroosmotic properties of materials used for miniaturized separation channels preparation in chip-based electromigration devices.

Open-tubular capillary electrochromatography using capillary columns chemically bonded with the new host molecules calix[6]crown, calix[6]arene.

Two host molecules, p-tert-butylcalix[6]-1,4-crown-4 and p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene were prepared and attached onto the inner surfaces of capillaries for open-tubular electrochromatography with the aid of gamma-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (KH-560) as bridging agent. The successful bonding was confirmed by infrared (IR) results and greatly decreased electroosmotic flow (EOF). Parameters affecting separation, such as buffer pH and organic modifier were studied. The two novel stationary phases were evaluated by the separation of isomeric toluidines, a mixture of pyridine and isomeric picolines, and isomeric dihydroxybenzenes; comparisons between capillaries coated with the two stationary phases and bare capillary were investigated. The special selectivity of these two novel stationary phases showed a certain extent of supramolecular interactions between stationary phases and solutes.

Capillary electrochromatographic study of sapphyrin-organophosphoric acid derivatives interaction.

Interaction of phosphate moiety possessing compounds with sapphyrin was studied using open-tubular electrochromatography in sapphyrin-coated capillaries. It was revealed that phenylthiohydantoin (PTH)-phosphoserine and PTH-phosphothreonine exert such a strong interaction that they can not be eluted from the sapphyrin-coated capillary even at prolonged run times (70 min). Nucleoside polyphosphates show generally strong interaction (but weaker than the above mentioned serine and threonine derivatives) no matter whether they possess one or two bases. Also the number of phosphate residues present in nucleoside polyphosphates tested plays a secondary role only. p-Aminobenzylphosphoric (p-ABPA) acid exhibited an unexpected behavior. It was retained more in the phosphate containing buffer than in borate-acetate. This appears to indicate that other than complexing of the phosphate moiety may be involved in the interaction. As no such effects were observed with the PTH-derivatives of serine and threonine it was concluded that additional interaction (if involved) depends on the nature of the organic part of the molecule.

Open-tubular electrochromatography of organic phosphates on a sapphyrin-modified capillary

Sapphyrin coating of the inner wall of the capillary results in a distinct interaction of the phosphate residue-possessing compounds as proven by a seven-membered model mixture of nucleoside mono- and diphosphates and ATP. Modification of the inner surface of the capillary not only alters the endoosmotic flow (as would have been expected) but brings about an electrochromatographic effect based on the interaction of tested phosphate moiety-bearing solutes with the immobilized sapphyrin layer. Elution of the sample can be achieved by using either 25 m M borate–acetate buffer in which monophosphates are not only separated from each other, but also selectively separated from di- and triphosphates (ATP). With the other two buffer systems tested, i.e. borate–phosphate and Tris–HCl, better selectivity (though smaller interaction with the capillary coating) was observed. The coating is relatively stable (can be used for 20 subsequent runs at least), simple to materialize, and in spite of a strong UV absorbancy of sapphyrin at the wavelength used (254 nm), decreases the limit of detection by no more than one order of magnitude as compared to the untreated capillary. Resolution factors (calculated to the preceding peak) are in most cases better in the electrochromatographic separation mode as compared to the separation in the untreated capillary, which reflects both the decrease in the electroosmotic flow and the interaction with the capillary wall coating.

Dual chiral recognition system involving cyclodextrin derivatives in capillary electrophoresis II. Enhancement of enantioselectivity.

The enantiomer separation of hexobarbital was investigated by open tubular electrochromatography (OTEC) using the chiral stationary phase (CSP) CHIRASIL-DEX (a permethylated beta-cyclodextrin covalently linked to a dimethylpolysiloxane) and by cyclodextrin-electrokinetic chromatogaphy (CD-EKC) using anionic beta-cyclodextrin-sulfo-n-propyl ether (SPE-beta-CD) and cationic beta-cyclodextrin-2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammoniumpropyl ether chloride (HTAP-beta-CD) added to the running buffer. By employing two chiral selectors, the enantiomer separation of hexobarbital was then studied simultaneously by OTEC with CHIRASIL-DEX and by CD-EKC with either SPE-beta-CD or HTAP-beta-CD in the dual chiral recognition mode. In conjunction with CHIRASIL-DEX, anionic SPE-beta-CD decreased the chiral separation factor alpha due to compensation of enantioselectivity whereas the cationic additive HTAP-beta-CD increased the chiral separation factor alpha due to enhancement of enantioselectivity. It is concluded that CHIRASIL-DEX imparts an opposite enantioselectivity to the enantiomers of hexobarbital as compared to the charged CDs SPE-beta-CD and HTAP-beta-CD. Unusual peak broadening phenomena are observed in the dual chiral recognition system comprised of CHIRASIL-DEX and HTAP-beta-CD. The possible consequences of accidental dual chiral recognition systems caused by wall stacking effects of the mobile phase additives onto the inner surface of the capillary column are discussed.

Sol–gel-derived fluorinated stationary phase for open tubular electrochromatography

We report on the preparation of a sol–gel-derived fluorinated stationary phase using a 13 μm I.D. fused-silica capillary for open tubular electrochromatography (OTEC). The sol–gel-derived fluorinated column is prepared by hydrolyzing a mixture of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-1-triethoxysilane (F13-TEOS) followed by coating a thin film onto the inner walls of a fused-silica capillary. The retention characteristics of the sol–gel-derived fluorinated column are compared with a sol–gel-derived octylhydrocarbonaceous (C8) column. Using the sol–gel-derived fluorinated column, we report on the successful separation of six model fluorinated organic compounds which cannot be separated using the C8 column prepared either via sol–gel method or by conventional methods. We achieved high efficiencies of 100 000–300 000 plates/m for the various model fluorinated compounds using the sol–gel-derived fluorinated column. We have also investigated the separation performance of the sol–gel-derived fluorinated column using different TEOS:F13-TEOS ratios and the optimum reaction time before column coating. Optimum selectivity was obtained with a TEOS:F13-TEOS molar ratio of 1:2 reacted for 24 h prior to column coating.

On the feasibility of miniaturized enantiomeric separation by liquid chromatography (OTLC) and open tubular electrochromatography (OTEC)

The feasibility of miniaturized enantiomer separation by open tubular liquid chromatography (OTLC) as well as by open tubular electrochromatography (OTEC) in 50 μm i.d. and 25 μm i.d. fused silica capillaries coated with CHIRASIL-DEX, a covalently linked permethyl-β-cyclodextrin to polysiloxane, is demonstrated for a number of chiral pharmaceuticals and chiral alcohols. A comparison of OTLC and OTEC is made. The influence of several organic modifiers and the role of temperature for the enantiomer separation in OTLC and OTEC has been studied. The direct coupling of the OTLC system to an electrospray ionisation mass spectrometer (ESI-MS) without any interfacing is demonstrated. A new example of an unified enantioselective chromatographic approach is presented. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep 9: 421–431, 1997

Modification of the inner capillary surface by the sol‐gel method: Application to open tubular electrochromatography

AbstractThe sol‐gel procedure was used to prepare an organically modified silica glass coating material which was used as the stationary phase for reversed‐phase open tubular electrochromatography. The unique column preparation scheme is simplified by combining the synthesis of the stationary phase and the attachment of the supporting porous glass matrix in a single‐step procedure. This approach significantly increases surface area which results in a higher phase ratio. Controlling the amount of the precursor materials used in the sol‐gel solution provides a means to adjust the carbon content in the stationary phase. The column performance was evaluated using a test mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; under certain experimental conditions, efficiencies around 500,000 theoretical plates per meter were obtained for some test solutes.

On the possibility of performing chiral wall-coated open-tubular electrochromatography in 50 micron internal diameter capillaries.

Recent results have demonstrated acceptable enantiomer separations in open, 50 microns internal diameter capillaries, coated with a chiral stationary phase, a technique known as electrochromatography. According to existing literature, smaller column diameters, 10 microns or less, are generally preferred for this mode of operation. The conditions under which the wider columns can be used are discussed.