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Perfusive flow and intraparticle distribution of a neutral analyte in capillary electrochromatography
Author(s) -
Tallarek Ulrich,
Pačes Martin,
Rapp Erdmann
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/elps.200305673
Subject(s) - péclet number , chemistry , diffusion , microfluidics , tracer , particle (ecology) , capillary action , electrochromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , electric field , capillary electrochromatography , chemical physics , mechanics , materials science , capillary electrophoresis , chromatography , nanotechnology , thermodynamics , geology , oceanography , physics , quantum mechanics , nuclear physics , composite material
The relevance and magnitude of an electroosmotic perfusion mechanism in electrochromatography is analyzed. To systemize our studies we first considered the transport of an electroneutral and nonadsorbing tracer. Based on the refractive index matching in a microfluidic setup containing fixed spherical porous particles, we conducted a quantitative analysis in real time of the spatio‐temporal distribution of fluorescent tracer molecules during their uptake by (and a release from) single particles using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Even under conditions of a significant electrical double layer overlap the intraparticle electroosmotic flow produces due to its unidirectional nature and in striking contrast to the symmetric (spherical) distributions typical for purely diffusive transport strongly asymmetric concentration profiles inside spherical particles as the locally charged pore liquid begins to respond to the externally applied electrical field. The profiles retain an axisymmetric nature, i.e. , rotational symmetry with respect to the field direction. Results of our measurements could be successfully interpreted and further analyzed by a compact mathematical model. Intraparticle Peclet numbers of up to 150 have been realized and found to significantly enhance the mass transport on particle scale towards the convection‐dominated regime when compared to a conventional (diffusion‐limited) kinetics.