Microsequential injection: anion separations using ‘Lab-on-Valve’ coupled with capillary electrophoresis

Abstract

Microsequential injection (μSI) has been successfully coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE). Presented is the μSI-CE system, interfaced with an integrated Lab-on-Valve (LOV) manifold that provides an efficient sample delivery conduit and a versatile means of sample pretreatment along with total automation of the separation process. Programmable μSI protocols control all critical system peripherals to perform various types of CE sample injections automatically such as electrokinetic (EK) injection, hydrodynamic (HD) injection, and head column field amplification (HCFA) sample stacking injection. Novel features of the μSI-CE technique are demonstrated on assays of samples containing 10 anions that had been used previously as a model system. Calibration studies by EK sample injection yielded linear concentration ranges of 0.5–3.0 mM with linear regression responses of r² = 0.9999 for both chloride and sulfate using conductivity corrected peak area (CCPA) as concentration responses. Calibration using an internal standard was studied at the same concentration range giving r² = 0.9992 for both chloride and sulfate and r² = 0.9997 for both when CCPA correction was deployed. With HCFA sample stacking injection, a linear concentration dynamic range of 0.034–3.419 mM for chloride and 0.014–1.408 mM for sulfate were produced with linear regression responses of r² = 0.9999 for chloride and r² = 0.9998 for sulfate.