Chiral Separations Using a Polypeptide and Polymeric Dipeptide Surfactant Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Coating in Open-Tubular Capillary Electrochromatography

Multilayer coatings based on gold nanoparticles and polymers with bovine serum albumin as a functional layer for the chiral separation in capillary electrochromatography

In this study, we developed physically adsorbed multi-layer coatings using poly-l-lysine or poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and gold nanoparticles, which were functionalized with bovine serum albumin for the chiral separation in electrochromatography. The approach involves sequentially depositing positively charged polymers and negatively charged citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles. By repeating this modification cycle, we created two- and four-layer coatings, which were sequentially functionalized with albumin forming three- and five-layer coatings that were finally applied for the separation of enantiomers of dl-tryptophan. The formed coatings exhibit stability across a pH range of 2-10 and feature a dense, uniform surface, as confirmed by scanning electron microscope images. The number of layers impacted nanoparticle deposition density, with five-layer coatings being denser than three-layer ones. Five-layer coatings enable baseline separation of dl-tryptophan enantiomers, whereas three-layer coatings require the presence of albumin in the background electrolyte for separation. Therefore, increasing the number of layers and gold nanoparticles density enhances albumin active center concentration on capillary walls, improving the separation of dl-tryptophan enantiomers. The five-layer coatings can be easily fabricated and possess good repeatability of analytes migration time.

Surface Activity and Structure of Temperature-Responsive Polymer Surfactants Based on PNIPAm at the Air/Solution Interface

Thermally sensitive polymers have attracted tremendous interest in the design of stimulus-responsive surfactants. In this article, poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PPO-b-PNIPAm) with different block lengths of PNIPAm was synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Different from commercial Pluronic surfactants, four distinct sections appeared in the decrease of surface tension with concentration. First, with increasing concentration, the amount of adsorbed polymers increased and the surface tension decreased sharply until a plateau was reached, which was caused by the rearrangement of methyl groups. The increasing adsorbed amount of PPO-b-PNIPAm resulted in the rearrangement of isopropyl groups, which changed from a lying down or horizontal conformation to a standing up or vertical conformation. This behavior led to the decrease in surface tension in part III until the critical micelle concentration (CMC) was reached. The surface tension of PPO-b-PNIPAm was thermally responsive. Except for the hysteresis observed in the first cycle, the surface tension was reversible during the heating-and-cooling cycles. At low concentrations, the low surface tension at higher temperatures was mainly caused by the increasing adsorption amount and ordered arrangement of methyl groups, while the standing up conformation of isopropyl groups at higher concentrations resulted in the low surface tension observed at high temperatures.

Micro- and Nano-Liquid Phases Coexistent with Ice as Separation and Reaction Media

Ice has a variety of scientifically interesting features, some of which have not been reasonably interpreted despite substantial efforts by researchers. Most chemical studies of ice have focused on the elucidation of its physicochemical nature and its roles in the natural environment. Ice often contains impurities, such as salts, and in such cases, a liquid phase coexists with solid ice over a wide temperature range. This impure ice also acts as a cryoreactor, governing the circulation of chemical species of environmental importance. Reactions and phenomena occurring in this liquid phase show features different from those seen in normal bulk aqueous solutions. In the present account, we discuss the chemical characteristics of the liquid phase that develops in a frozen aqueous phase and show how novel analytical systems can be designed based on he features of the liquid phase which are predictable in some cases but unpredictable in others.

Enantioseparations in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography: Recent advances and applications

This review highlights recent advances and applications in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) for enantioseparations during the last decade. Although extensive research has been conducted in the area of separations by use of CEC, and a big number of reviews have been published, there is not a review on exclusively the use of chiral stationary phases (CSPs) in OT-CEC for enantioseparations. Therefore, in this review, the design and synthesis of different CSPs are presented, and their potential applications in OT-CEC for enantioseparations are discussed. The different approaches to CSP development include chiral nanomaterials, porous layers, molecular imprinting, sol-gel technique, polyelectrolyte multilayer coating, polymeric coating and others.

Layer-by-layer self-assembly of polydopamine/gold nanoparticle/thiol coating as the stationary phase for open tubular capillary electrochromatography

Much attention has been paid to utilizing polydopamine (PDA) as the stationary phase in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) owing to its diverse properties, such as strong adhesion to various surfaces, latent reactivity toward amine and thiol groups and metal ion chelating/redox activities. In this study, a novel open-tubular capillary column coated with polydopamine/gold nanoparticles/thiols (PDA/Au NPs/thiols) has been fabricated based on the multiple properties of PDA for the first time. The capillary inner surface was firstly functionalized with a layer of PDA/Au NPs using the strong adhesive and metal ion redox properties of PDA. Thiols were then introduced and covalently reacted with the hybrid coating based on the Michael addition reaction of PDA and thiols and also Au-S bonds. Moreover, benefitting from the porosity of PDA, layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly was further applied to increase the amounts of stationary phase (Au NPs and thiols), which can significantly enhance the separation effectiveness and stability of the coated column. The formation of the PDA/Au NP/thiol coating in the capillary was confirmed and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) and AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy). Then the separation effectiveness of the PDA/Au NP/thiol@capillary was verified by the separation of alkylbenzenes, which can achieve baseline separation easily with high column efficiency. In addition, the column showed long lifetime and good stability. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for intra-day and inter-day repeatability of the PDA/Au NP/thiol@capillary were lower than 5%. Therefore, the layer-by-layer self-assembly of PDA/Au NPs/thiols on the capillary inner-surface could be an effective capillary modification strategy.

Advances in the enantioseparation of β-blocker drugs by capillary electromigration techniques

β-Blocker drugs or β-adrenergic blocking agents are an important class of drugs, prescribed with great frequency. They are used for various diseases, particularly for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, cardioprotection after myocardial infarction (heart attack), and hypertension. Almost all β-blocker drugs possess one or more stereogenic centers; however; only some of them are administered as single enantiomers. Since both enantiomers can differ in their pharmacological and toxicological properties, enantioselective analytical methods are required not only for pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies but also for quality control of pharmaceutical preparations with the determination of enantiomeric purity. In addition to the chromatographic tools, in recent years, capillary electromigration techniques (CE, CEC, and MEKC) have been widely used for enantioselective purposes employing a variety of chiral selectors, e.g. CDs, polysaccharides, macrocyclic antibiotics, proteins, chiral ion-paring agents, etc. The high separation efficiency, rapid analysi,s and low consumption of reagents of electromigration methods make them a very attractive alternative to the conventional chromatographic methods. In this review, the development and applications of electrodriven methods for the enantioseparation of β-blocker drugs are reported. The papers concerning this topic, published from January 2000 until December 2010, are summarised here. Particular attention is given to the coupling of chiral CE and CEC methods to MS, as this detector provides high sensitivity and selectivity.

Lysine-based zwitterionic molecular micelle for simultaneous separation of acidic and basic proteins using open tubular capillary electrochromatography

In this work, a zwitterionic molecular micelle, poly-epsilon-sodium-undecanoyl lysinate (poly-epsilon-SUK), was synthesized and employed as a coating in open tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) for protein separation. The zwitterionic poly-epsilon-SUK containing both carboxylic acid and amine groups can be either protonated or deprotonated depending on the pH of the background electrolyte; therefore, either an overall positively or negatively charged coating can be achieved. This zwitterionic coating allows protein separations in either normal or reverse polarity mode depending on the pH of the background electrolyte. The protein mixtures contained four basic proteins (lysozyme, cytochrome c, alpha-chymotrypsinogen A, and ribonuclease A) and six acidic proteins (myoglobin, deoxyribonuclease I, beta-lactoglobulin A, beta-lactoglobulin B, alpha-lactalbumin, and albumin). Protein separations were optimized specifically for acidic (reverse mode) and basic (normal mode) pH values. Varying the polymer thickness by changing the polymer and salt concentration had a great influence on protein resolution, while nearly all peaks were also baseline resolved in both modes using the optimized poly-epsilon-SUK coating concentration of 0.4% (w/v). Proteins in human sera were separated under optimized acidic and basic conditions in order to demonstrate the general utility of this coating. Nanoscale characterizations of the poly-epsilon-SUK micellar coatings on silicon surfaces were accomplished using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to gain insight into the morphology and thickness of the zwitterionic coating. The thickness of the polymer coating ranged from 0.9 to 2.4 nm based on local measurements using nanoshaving, an AFM-based method of nanolithography.

Achiral and chiral separations using MEKC, polyelectrolyte multilayer coatings, and mixed mode separation techniques with molecular micelles

Mixed mode (MM) separation using a combination of MEKC and polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coatings is herein reported for the separation of achiral and chiral analytes. Many analytes are difficult to separate by MEKC and PEM coatings alone. Therefore, the implementation of a MM separation provides several advantages for overcoming the limitations of these well-established methods. In this study, it was observed that achiral separations using MEKC and PEM coatings individually resulted in partial resolution of eight very similar aryl ketones when the molecular micelle (sodium poly(N-undecanoyl-L-glycinate)) concentration was varied from 0.25 to 1.00% w/v and the bilayer number varied from 2 to 4. However, when MM separation was introduced, baseline resolution was achieved for all eight analytes. In the case of chiral separations, temazepam, aminoglutethimide, benzoin, benzoin methyl ether, and coumachlor were separated using the three separation techniques. For chiral separations, the chiral molecular micelle, sodium poly(N-undecanoyl-L-leucylvalinate), was employed at concentrations of 0.25-1.50% w/v for both MEKC and PEM coatings. Overall, the results revealed partial separation with MEKC and PEM coatings individually. However, MM separation enabled baseline separation of each chiral mixture. The separation of achiral and chiral compounds from different compound classes demonstrates the versatility of this MM approach.

Multivariate approach for the enantioselective analysis in micellar electrokinetic chromatography-mass spectrometry. I. Simultaneous optimization of binaphthyl derivatives in negative ion mode

A mixture of two molecular micelles polysodium N-undecenoxy carbonyl-L-leucinate, (poly-L-SUCL) and polysodium N-undecanoyl leucylvalinate, (poly-L-SULV) was utilized in micellar electrokinetic chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (MEKC-ESI-MS) to simultaneously separate and detect enantiomers of binaphthyl derivatives. Separation parameters such as background buffer composition, voltage, temperature, and nebulizer pressure were optimized using a multivariate central composite design (CCD). Baseline enantioseparation for both analytes was achieved. The CCD was also used in the optimization of sheath liquid and spray chamber parameters to achieve optimum ESI-MS response. The results demonstrate that CCD is a powerful tool for the optimization of MEKC-MS parameters and the response surface model analysis can provide in-depth statistical understandings of the significant factors required to achieve maximum enantioresolution and ESI-MS sensitivity.

Capillary electrophoretic screening for the inhibition of homocysteine thiolactone-induced protein oligomerization

We report the first demonstration of rapid electrophoretic monitoring of homocysteine thiolactone-induced protein oligomerization (HTPO), a unique type of post-translational protein modification that may have clinical significance as an indicator of cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases. HTPO of the model protein bovine cytochrome c was initiated in vitro. The relative monomer and aggregate levels of the resultant protein mixtures were determined following separation using capillaries coated with the cationic polymer, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride). UV detection provided adequate sensitivity for the monitoring of higher order species, which exist at relatively low concentrations in the protein reaction mixture as compared to the monomeric species. Separations performed under standard injection conditions were optimized on the basis of applied voltage and sample denaturation conditions. Separations performed using short-end injection allowed for more rapid analyses, typically in less than 70 s. Relative errors for run-to-run migration times were less than 0.5%. This novel oligomeric system provides a rapid and straightforward in vitro method to screen therapeutic agents for their ability to inhibit HTPO. Changes in peak area for monomer and aggregate species were used to assess HTPO inhibition as a function of pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP) concentration. PLP was shown to effectively inhibit HTPO in vitro. Rapid analysis times of approximately 1.5 min were achieved for inhibition screening.

Recent accomplishments in the field of enantiomer separation by CEC

The present review intends to summarize recent developments in the field of enantioselective separations and analysis by CEC. It covers studies published in English language in common peer-reviewed journals within the period between 2003 and 2006. Both, methods making use of chiral mobile phase additives as well as chiral stationary phases for electrochromatographic enantiomer separations, are reviewed. Achievements that have been made on the various column technologies, such as open-tubular, particle-packed, inorganic, organic and particle-fixed (hybrid-type) monolithic as well as molecularly imprinted polymer phases, are discussed.

Online Concentration and Affinity Separation of Biomolecules Using Multifunctional Particles in Capillary Electrophoresis under Magnetic Field

To overcome several problems in affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE), i.e., low detectability, need for sample derivatization, and difficulty in the fixation of affinity ligands (ALs), multifunctional magnetic particles (MFMPs) were prepared by immobilizing both fluorescent molecules and ALs for low-density lipoproteins onto the surface of magnetic polymer microspheres with a polyelectrolyte multilayer coating technique and applied to the ACE analysis. The prepared MFMPs showed a remarkable change in the electrophoretic mobility (mu ep) by the addition of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), whereas for high-density lipoproteins (HDL), mu ep of the MFMPs kept constant, so that it was confirmed that the MFMPs possess an affinity with LDL. On the other hand, the MFMPs can be trapped by the magnetic field even under a higher electric field for electrophoresis. By a successive on-off control of the magnetic field, online preconcentration of the LDL bound MFMPs and the selective separation of LDL from HDL were successfully achieved. In the ACE analysis of LDL employing UV detection, an 82-fold increase in the sensitivity was obtained by the on-capillary sample preconcentration using the MFMPs. When laser induced-fluorescence detection was employed, furthermore, the limit of detection for LDL was improved to the order of subpicomolar.

Advances in chiral separation using capillary electromigration techniques

This review gives an overview of recent developments in CZE, EKC, and CEC covering the literature since the year 2004. Since there appeared a special issue on applications, this review focuses on the progress in electromigration techniques and new methodological developments. New techniques, new chiral selectors as well as new chiral stationary phases for CEC are discussed.

Understanding chiral molecular micellar separations using steady-state fluorescence anisotropy, capillary electrophoresis, and NMR

Chiral separations employing four diastereomers of poly sodium N-undecanoyl leucylvalinate (p-SULV) as chiral selectors are probed by use of MEKC, steady-state fluorescence anisotropy, and NMR. By employing diastereomers and thus altering the stereochemistry of a single amino acid in a systematic way, one may control the enantiorecognition ability of the chiral selector. As a result, one can gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of chiral recognition for the two classes of neutral or anionic chiral analytes studied. Evaluation of the chiral interactions leading to chiral separations confirmed our earlier observation of a strong relationship between the selectivity (alpha) observed using a chromatographic separation technique (MEKC) and that determined from the spectroscopic parameter, beta. A linear alpha versus beta relationship was observed for the molecular micelle p-(L)-SULV with all eight analytes included in this study. However, as we earlier predicted, different groups of analytes had different slopes, i.e., values of m, suggesting different chiral separation mechanisms. Evaluation of the data allowed a grouping of the analytes according to the primary site of chiral interaction with the leucine or valine moiety of molecular micelle chiral headgroup.

Recent progress in polar stationary phases for CEC

This review summarizes most of the recent developments in the preparation and application of polar stationary phases for CEC covering the literature published since the year 2004. These polar stationary phases have been adopted for separation of analytes by the modes of packing column CEC, open-tubular CEC (o-CEC) and monolithic column CEC. Currently, development of o-CEC using biomolecules, such as protein and DNA, as the immobilized ligands is highlighted partly due to the simplicity of preparation. Furthermore, monolithic columns have been extended quickly, particularly inorganic materials-based monoliths, such as silica, zirconia, hafnium, etc., as an alternative to packed columns have been developed quickly.

Electrophoretic analysis of proteins and enantiomers using capillaries modified by a successive multiple ionic-polymer layer (SMIL) coating technique

The applicability of three-layer coatings consisting of three different polymers (A(+)-B(-)-C(+) coating) prepared by a successive multiple ionic-polymer layer (SMIL) coating technique to the immobilization of polypeptides and/or proteins onto the inner surface of the capillaries was investigated to provide a high-performance separation medium for proteins and enantiomers in capillary electrophoresis (CE). To obtain a stable protein-coated capillary, high molecular mass poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) was employed as the first layer in the A(+)-B(-)-C(+) coating, and then a cationic protein was immobilized as the third layer. Comparisons of analytical performances between the A(+)-B(-)-C(+) coating and the conventional SMIL-coated (A(+)-B(-)-A(+) coating) capillary were conducted. The CE separation of cationic proteins was successfully achieved with the prepared capillaries. In addition, the polypeptide- and protein-coated capillaries were applied to the chiral separation of a binaphthyl compound. It should be noted that the chiral separation efficiency was strongly dependent on the second anionic polymer layer of the coating. Effects of the interaction between oppositely charged ionic polymer layers on the separation efficiency are discussed.

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.

Recent developments in capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography of peptides

The article gives a comprehensive review on the recent developments in the applications of high-performance capillary electromigration methods, zone electrophoresis, isotachophoresis, isoelectric focusing, affinity electrophoresis, electrokinetic chromatography, and electrochromatography, to analysis, preparation, and physicochemical characterization of peptides. The article presents new approaches to the theoretical description and experimental verification of electromigration behavior of peptides, covers the methodological aspects of capillary electroseparations of peptides, such as rational selection of separation conditions, sample preparation, suppression of peptide adsorption, new developments in individual separation modes, and new designs of detection systems. Several types of applications of capillary electromigration methods to peptide analysis are presented: conventional qualitative and quantitative analysis, purity control, determination in biomatrices, monitoring of chemical and enzymatical reactions and physical changes, amino acid and sequence analysis, and peptide mapping of proteins. Some examples of micropreparative peptide separations are given and capabilities of capillary electromigration techniques to provide important physicochemical characteristics of peptides are demonstrated.

Capillary electrochromatography using polyelectrolyte multilayer coatings

This review covers recent progress in polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coatings applied to analytical separations using open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC). The simple preparation procedure involved in the PEM approach has provided some attractive features over other modes of capillary electrophoresis-based separations including packed column capillary electrochromatography (PC-CEC) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). PEM coatings have been used to alleviate the adsorption of basic analytes, to improve separations, and to improve the stability of the electroosmotic flow. Fundamental aspects of PEM coatings on surfaces and analytical separation platforms are briefly outlined in this review. In addition, applications of PEM coatings to fused-silica capillaries or microchip separation devices for the separation of small achiral or chiral analytes, as well as large biomolecules, are discussed.

Recent advances in peptide chiral selectors for electrophoresis and liquid chromatography

The application of peptides in chiral separations using techniques such as capillary electrophoresis (CE), electrokinetic capillary chromatography (EKC) and liquid chromatography is the focus of this review. Methods for finding peptide selectors using combinatorial library approaches are discussed, as well as recent advances in the use of peptides as general chiral selectors for electrophoresis and liquid chromatography. One example shows the effectiveness of polymeric dipeptide surfactants as general chiral selectors for electrophoresis. Another example shows the versatility of oligoproline chiral stationary phases, exhibiting resolution for a number of racemic analytes comparable to other well-established chiral stationary phases.