The critical evaluation of the effects of imidazolium-based ionic liquids on the separation efficiency of selected biogenic amines and their metabolites during MEKC analysis

Ionic liquids (ILs) such as imidazole can be used to prevent the sorption of analytes onto the quartz walls of the capillary. Coating the capillary wall with a cation layer increases its surface stability, consequently improving the repeatability of separation process. Currently, examining the effects of dynamic coatings on the capillary wall is an emerging trend in capillary electrophoresis (CE) research. This study uses micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) to evaluate how ILs in the background electrolyte (BGE) affect the separation efficiency of biogenic amines (BAs). Specifically, this research focuses on 12 ILs built from cations containing an imidazole ring with different alkyl substituents and anions, as well as one IL containing a pyridinium cation with tetrafluoroborate anion. All analyzed ILs, which were added to the BGE in concentrations ranging from 1 to 20 mM, were tested for their ability to improve the electrophoretic separation of selected BAs, namely: homovanillic acid (HVA), vanililmandelic acid (VMA), dihydroxyphenylglicol (DHPG), 3-metoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl glicol (MHPG), normetanephrine (NM), metanephrine (M), and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). The results showed that the most effective ILs added to the BGE were those with a chloride anion (1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [HMIM⁺Cl^-] and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [EMIM⁺Cl^-]) and those with a tetrafluoroborate anion (1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [HMIM ⁺ BF₄^-]). Improved separation efficiency was also obtained for the BGE containing 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [HMIM ⁺ PF₆^-]. On the other hand, ILs with trifluoromethanesulfonate [OTf^-] or bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [NTf₂^-] anions, even at low concentrations in the BGE, disturbed the flow of current through the capillary and worsened the separation process. Overall, this study provides a critical evaluation of the impact of different types and concentrations of ILs on the performance of the MEKC method during the analysis of selected BAs.