Continuous on-line concentration based on dynamic pH junction for trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole by microfluidic capillary electrophoresis combined with flow injection analysis system

Origami paper-based sample preconcentration using sequentially driven ion concentration polarization

Ion concentration polarization (ICP) is one of the preconcentration techniques which can acquire a high preconcentration factor. Still, the main hurdles of ICP are its instability and low efficiency under physiological conditions with high ionic strength and abundant biomolecules. Here, we suggested a sequentially driven ICP process, which enhanced the electrokinetic force required for preconcentration, enabling enrichment of highly ionic raw samples without increasing the electric field. We acquired a 13-fold preconcentration factor (PF) in human serum using a paper-based origami structure consisting of multiple layers for three-dimensional sequential ICP (3D seq-ICP). Moreover, we demonstrated a paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by 3D seq-ICP using tau protein, showing a 6-fold increase in ELISA signals.

Sample preconcentration in open microchannels combined with MALDI-MS

In this work, a method for preconcentrating samples in 1 cm long, 50-150 μm wide open microchannels is presented. Platinum electrodes were positioned at the channel ends, voltage was applied, and charged analyte was preconcentrated at the oppositely charged side during continuous supply of sample. The preconcentration was initially studied in a closed system, where an influence on the analyte position from a pH gradient, generated by water electrolysis, was observed. In the open channel, the analyte distribution after preconcentration was evaluated using MALDI-MS with the channel as MALDI target. MALDI matrix was applied with an airbrush or by electrospray matrix deposition and by using the latter technique higher degrees of crystallization in the channels were obtained. After preconcentrating a 1 nM cytochrome c solution for 5 min, corresponding to a supplied amount of 1.25 fmol, a signal on the cathodic channel end could be detected. When a solution of cytochrome c trypsin digest was supplied, the peptides were preconcentrated at different positions along the channel depending on their charge.

Electrode calibration with a microfluidic flow cell for fast-scan cyclic voltammetry

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is a common analytical electrochemistry tool used to measure chemical species. It has recently been adapted for measurement of neurotransmitters such as dopamine in awake and behaving animals (in vivo). Electrode calibration is an essential step in FSCV to relate observed current to concentration of a chemical species. However, existing methods require multiple components, which reduce the ease of calibrations. To this end, a microfluidic flow cell (μFC) was developed as a simple device to switch between buffer and buffer with a known concentration of the analyte of interest--in this case dopamine--in a microfluidic Y-channel. The ability to quickly switch solutions yielded electrode calibrations with faster rise times and that were more stable at peak current values. The μFC reduced the number of external electrical components and produced linear calibrations over a range of concentrations. To demonstrate this, an electrode calibrated with the μFC was used in FSCV recordings from a rat during the delivery of food reward--a stimulus that reliably evokes a brief increase in current due to the oxidation of dopamine. Using the linear calibration, dopamine concentrations were determined from the current responses evoked during the behavioral task. The μFC is able to easily and quickly calibrate FSCV electrode responses to chemical species for both in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Chemometrical examination of active parameters and interactions in flow injection-capillary electrophoresis

The first detailed examination of flow injection-capillary electrophoresis (FI-CE) active parameters and their interactions via response surface methodology (RSM) is presented. Specifically, RSM in the form of a Box-Behnken design was implemented to effectively predict the significance of capillary length, voltage and injection volume on the optimization of an in-house built FI-CE analyzer. Initial studies were performed assessing peak height and peak shape of the model compound N,N-dimethylformamide. Optimum model conditions were then derived and used in the model separation of two small molecules, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form (NADH) and benzenesulfonamide. By implementing the RSM approach, detailed examination of active FI-CE parameters was possible, including the ability to reveal a significant interactive effect. This work is not only highly significant for advancing FI-CE developments, but instructive for investigators actively exploring other coupled analytical techniques and associated experimental parameters.

Combination of large volume sample stacking and dynamic pH junction for on-line preconcentration of weak electrolytes by capillary electrophoresis in comparison with isotachophoretic techniques

An on-line preconcentration capillary electrophoresis (CE) technique, which combines a large volume sample stacking with a dynamic pH junction technique, is introduced in this paper. This dynamic pH junction with co-electroosmotic migration is formed between sodium borate pH 9.5 and sodium phosphate pH 2.5 with 150 mM sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). A full capillary based injection allows determination of weak acidic compounds at ppb concentration levels (achieved LOD for benzoic acid was 11 nmol L(-1)). The proposed preconcentration method was compared with ITP/ITP (LOD 120 nmol L(-1)), ITP/CZE (LOD 740 nmol L(-1)) and a simple CZE method (LOD 23,330 nmol L(-1)). The analytical potential of this method was assessed with juice test samples.

Combination of flow injection with electrophoresis using capillaries and chips

The technique of combined flow injection CE (FI-CE) integrates the essential favorable merits of FI and CE and can significantly expand the application of CE by utilizing the various on-line sample pretreatments and preconcentration of FI. The basic principles, instrumental developments, and applications of the FI-CE system from 2004 to 2006 are reviewed. The recent developments and applications of FI-CE are outlined.

Contemporary sample stacking in CE: A sophisticated tool based on simple principles

Sample stacking is a general term for methods in CE which are used for on-line concentration of diluted analytes. During the stacking process, analytes present at low concentrations in a long injected sample zone are concentrated into a short zone (stack). The stacked analytes are then separated and individual zones are detected. Thus stacking provides better separation efficiency and detection sensitivity. Many papers have been published on stacking till now, various procedures have been described, and, many names have been proposed for stacking procedures utilizing the same principles. This contribution brings an easy and unified view on stacking, describes the basic principles utilized, makes a list of recognized operational principles and brings an overview of principal current procedures. Further, it surveys selected recent practical applications ordered according to their operational principles and includes the terms, nicknames, and acronyms used for these actual stacking procedures. This contribution may help both newcomers and experts in the field of CE to orient themselves in the already quite complex topic of sample stacking.

Capillary-assembled microchip as an on-line deproteinization device for capillary electrophoresis

A capillary-assembled microchip (CAs-CHIP), prepared by simply embedding square capillaries in a lattice polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channel plate with the same channel dimensions as the outer dimensions of the square capillaries, has been used as a diffusion-based pretreatment attachment in capillary electrophoresis (CE). Because the CAs-CHIPs employ square-section channels, diffusion-based separation of small molecules from sample solutions containing proteins is possible by using the multilayer flow formed in the square section channel. When a solution containing high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight species makes contact with a buffer solution, the low-molecular-weight species, which have larger diffusion coefficients than the high-molecular-weight species, can be collected in a buffer-solution phase. The collected solution containing the low-molecular-weight species is introduced into the separation capillary to be analyzed by CE. This type of system can be used for CE analysis in which pretreatment is required to remove proteins. In this work a fluorescently labeled protein and rhodamine-based molecules were chosen as model species and a feasibility study was performed.

Separation and determination of tetrandrine and fangchinoline in herbal medicines by flow injection-micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with internal standard method

A simple, rapid and precision flow injection-micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (FI-MEKC) system with trimethoprim as internal standard (IS) for automated quantitative analysis of tetrandrine (TET) and fangchinoline (FAN) in various herbal medicines was demonstrated. The real sample throughput was 19-40 samples per hour using the background electrolyte (BGE) containing 15mM acetic acid-15mM sodium acetate-3% (v/v) polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20)-5% (v/v) methanol at pH 5.5. The method resulted in excellent linearity, with correlation coefficient of regression equation of 0.9996 and 0.9991 for TET and FAN, respectively. Recoveries were in the range 95-109% and 92-106% for TET and FAN, respectively.

Head-column field-amplified sample stacking in a capillary electrophoresis-flow injection system

A simple, effective, and continuous online concentration method for the sensitive detection of alkaloids applying CE-flow injection analysis with head-column field-amplified sample stacking was developed. A series of samples was continuously introduced into the capillary by electrokinetic means without interrupting the high voltage. A short water plug was introduced by the EOF at the capillary inlet end prior to sample introduction. Under optimum conditions, 15-fold improvement in concentration sensitivity was achieved, giving an LOD of about 0.67 and 0.73 microg/mL for ephedrine (E) and pseudoephedrine (PE), respectively. The separation could be achieved within 4 min and sample throughput rate could reach up to 7/h. The repeatability (defined as RSD) was 3.62, 1.51% with peak area evaluation and 1.30, 2.58% with peak height evaluation for E and PE, respectively. This method has been successfully applied to the analysis of commercial pharmaceutical preparations containing E and PE, and the recoveries were 92.3-102.4%.