Separation of poly(styrene sulfonates) by capillary electrophoresis with polymeric additives

Capillary zone electrophoresis as a tool to monitor the last stages of the degradation of water-sensitive polymers

In order to monitor the formation of the water-soluble by-products from chain-scission of degradable polymers used in the biomedical field, four capillary electrophoresis methods are discussed with the aim of giving the limits and performance for each. Three of them (electroosmotic flow reversal by dynamic adsorption of a polycation, multilayer polyelectrolyte coatings and physical binding of polyethylene oxide) are based on the use of dynamic coatings onto the inner surface of a fused silica capillary, a simple means to adapt performance to specific separations via modification and control of the electroosmotic flow of fused capillary. Using oligomers of lactic acid considered as standards the methods are compared. Other examples of ester-containing macromolecules (poly(hydroxybutyrate)), as well as degradable polyanions are described, namely N-acetylneuraminate polymer and poly(beta-malic acid).

Separation of synthetic (co)polymers by capillary electrophoresis techniques

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a very efficient tool for separating and characterizing synthetic polymers, copolymers, and polyelectrolytes. Different modes of CE (free solution capillary electrophoresis [FSCE], entangled polymer solution CE [EPSCE], capillary gel electrophoresis [CGE], or micellar electrokinetic chromatography [MEKC]) can be used depending on the characteristics of the polymer solutes (end charged, evenly charged, or uncharged polymers) and on the polymer solute heterogeneities (molecular mass, functionality, chemical composition). To illustrate the potential of CE, four different methods are proposed using either nonaqueous or aqueous electrolytes. The first method describes the separation of synthetic organic polypeptides according to their functionalities and molar masses in a nonaqueous electrolyte. In a second method, polyelectrolyte oligomers are separated by FSCE in aqueous buffer. The third method demonstrates the great potential of EPSCE for the size-based separation of evenly charged polyelectrolytes on a wide range of molar masses. The last method describes a simple two-dimensional approach realized in a single capillary that combines a separation according to the chemical composition (FSCE) with a size-based separation (EPSCE).

Nonaqueous and aqueous capillary electrophoresis of synthetic polymers

In this work, the use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to analyze synthetic polymers is reviewed including works published till February 2004. The revised works have been classified depending on the CE mode (e.g., free solution capillary electrophoresis, capillary gel electrophoresis, etc.) and type of buffer (i.e., nonaqueous, aqueous and hydro-organic background electrolytes) employed to separate synthetic macromolecules. Advantages and drawbacks of these different separation procedures for polymer analysis are discussed. Also, physicochemical studies of complex polymer systems by CE are reviewed, including drug release studies, synthetic polyampholytes, dendrimers, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and associative copolymers.

Nonaqueous Capillary Zone Electrophoresis of Synthetic Organic Polypeptides

Poly(Nepsilon-trifluoroacetyl-L-lysine) was used as a model solute to investigate the potential of nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) for the characterization of synthetic organic polymers. The information obtained by NACE was compared to that derived from size exclusion chromatography (SEC) experiments, and the two techniques were found to be complimentary for polymer characterization. On one hand, NACE permitted (i) the separation of oligomers according to their molar mass and (ii) the separation of the polymers according to the nature of the end groups. On the other hand, SEC experiments were used for the characterization of the molar mass distribution for higher molar masses. Due to the tendency of the solutes (polypeptides) to adsorb onto the fused-silica capillary wall, careful attention was paid to the rinsing procedure of the capillary between runs in order to keep the capillary surface clean. For that purpose, the use of electrophoretic desorption under denaturating conditions was very effective. Optimization of the separation was performed by studying (i) the influence of the proportion of methanol in a methanoVacetonitrile mixture and (ii) the influence of acetic acid concentration in the background electrolyte. Highly resolved separation of the oligomers (up to a degree of polymerization n of approximately 50) was obtained by adding trifluoroacetic acid to the electrolyte. Important information concerning the polymer conformations could be obtained from the mobility data. Two different plots relating the effective mobility data to the degree of polymerization were proposed for monitoring the changes in polymer conformations as a function of the number of monomers.

Capillary electrophoresis of associative diblock copolymers

Water soluble diblock copolymers composed of a long poly(styrene sulfonate) chain (between 200 and 400 monomers) and a short poly(ethylene propylene) or poly(tert.-butylstyrene) hydrophobic end (20-50 monomers) are highly associative and form micelles in aqueous solution. The micelles are composed of a small hydrophobic core and a polyelectrolyte corona, the dimensions of which can be estimated by neutron and light scattering. These physical techniques are, however, not amenable to discriminate easily between the free copolymer and the copolymer micelle. Capillary electrophoresis was implemented in this work as a new and effective tool to investigate the behaviour of such associative copolymer systems. Since the rate of exchange between the micellised and free states is very slow in comparison with the time scale of the electrophoretic process, the electropherograms of the diblock copolymers obtained in plain aqueous borate buffers exhibit two peaks assigned to the two states mentioned above. The identification of the two peaks was first made on the basis of the retention orders of the two peaks equally obtained in similar conditions by size-exclusion chromatography. The copolymer micelles appeared to have a smaller electrophoretic mobility than the free copolymers. This peak assignment is also consistent with the observed ratio of the time-corrected peak areas and peak dispersions. The effects of the copolymer concentration, electric field, temperature and hydroorganic composition of the medium was also studied. Such systems do not exhibit a defined concentration threshold equivalent to a classical critical micelle concentration. Adding methanol to the electrolyte resulted in the progressive loss of baseline return between the two peaks, which might be attributed to a slight increase in the rate of exchange between the two states. Finally, adding a neutral surfactant to the electrolyte at a concentration in excess of its critical micelle concentration resulted in a decrease in the electrophoretic mobility of the peak attributed to the free copoplymer, while the electrophoretic mobility of the copolymer micelle remained unperturbed.

On the use of the activation energy concept to investigate analyte and network deformations in entangled polymer solution capillary electrophoresis of synthetic polyelectrolytes

The activation energy associated with the electrophoretic migration of an analyte under given electrolyte conditions can be accessed through the determination of the analyte electrophoretic mobility at various temperatures. In the case of the electrophoretic separation of polyelectrolytes in the presence of an entangled polymer network, activation energy can be regarded as the energy needed by the analyte to overcome the obstacles created by the separating network. Any deformation undergone by the analyte or the network is expected to induce a decrease in the activation energy. In this work, the electrophoretic mobilities of poly(styrenesulfonates) (PSSs) of various molecular weights (Mr 16 x 10(3) to 990 x 10(3)) were determined in entangled polyethylene oxide (PEO) solutions as a function of temperature (in the 17-60 degrees C range) and the PSS activation energies were calculated. The influences of the PSS molecular weight, blob sizes zetab of the separating network (related to the PEO concentration), ionic strength of the electrolyte and electric field strength (75-600 V/cm) were investigated. The results were interpreted in terms of analyte and network deformations and were confronted with those previously obtained for DNA migration in polymer solutions and chemical gels. For a radius of gyration Rg<zetab the activation energy increases with the PSS molecular mass, while the reverse is true for Rg>zetab, suggesting PSS and network deformations in the latter case. Increasing ionic strength resulted in an increase in the PSS activation energy, because of the decrease of their radii of gyration, which makes them less deformable. Finally, the activation energies of all the PSSs are a decreasing function of field strength and at high field strength tend to reach a constant value close to that for a small molecule.

Towards dynamic coating of glass microchip chambers for amplifying DNA via the polymerase chain reaction

As microchip technology evolves to allow for the integration of more complex processes, particularly the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), it will become necessary to define simple approaches for minimizing the effects of surfaces on the chemistry/processes to be performed. We have explored alternatives to silanization of the glass surface with the use of additives that either dynamically coat or adsorb to the glass surface. Polyethylene glycol, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) have been explored as potential dynamic coatings and epoxy (poly)dimethylacrylamide (EPDMA) evaluated as an adsorbed coating. By carrying out analysis of the PCR products generated under different conditions via microchip electrophoresis, we demonstrate that these coating agents adequately passivate the glass surface in a manner that prevents interference with the subsequent PCR process. While several of the agents tested allowed for PCR amplification of DNA in glass, the EPDMA was clearly superior with respect to ease of preparation. However, more efficient PCR (larger mass of amplified product) could be obtained by silanizing the glass surface.

A semi-empirical approach to the modeling of the electrophoretic mobility in free solution: application to polystyrenesulfonates of various sulfonation rates

This work focuses on the understanding of the electrophoretic behavior of flexible chains of polystyrenesulfonates (PSSs) in free solution. It deals mainly with the variation of the electrophoretic mobility with (i) the polymerization degree (N) of fully sulfonated PSSs and (ii) the sulfonation rate of randomly sulfonated PSSs. In both cases, the electrophoretic mobility was modeled following a semi-empirical approach which involves parameters retaining a physical meaning. Fully sulfonated PSS oligomers, having a length smaller than or similar to the Debye length, exhibit a particular electrophoretic behavior, in-between that observed for multicharged small molecules and that for polyelectrolytes. The electrophoretic mobility of these oligomers increases strongly with N, which is attributed to a hydrodynamic coupling between monomers. Then the mobility is maximum for an N of about 10, for which the PSS oligomers are still in a rod-like conformation. Afterwards, as N increases and the PSSs are larger than the Debye length, the electrophoretic mobility decreases slowly until it reaches a constant value corresponding to the free-draining behavior. Next, the electrophoretic behavior of long PSS (N about 1,200) differing in their sulfonation rates was investigated. The effective charge rates were determined independently by conductimetric measurements and the mobilities were modeled as a function of the sulfonation rate. The PSS behavior observed was compared to the one previously reported for classical polyelectrolytes having hydrophilic backbones, such as copolymers of poly(acryamide-coacrylic acid). A specific behavior has been pointed out for these partially sulfonated PSSs, which is attributed to the hydrophobicity of their backbone. Finally, it is shown that separations of PSSs of different sulfonation rates can be obtained with electrolytes containing an anionic surfactant or methanol.

Characterization of synthetic polyelectrolytes by capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis in entangled polymer solutions was applied to determine the molecular mass and polydispersity of polyelectrolytes. The separation selectivities of different polyethylene glycols as buffer additive can be correlated to their average molecular mass. A universal curve correlating the selectivity and the molecular mass could be obtained by using the instrinsic viscosity of the polyethylene glycol. The separation of poly(2-vinylpyridine) standards was compared to the separation of poly(4-vinylpyridine) standards. An indirect detection system was developed to characterize the cationic polyelectrolyte polydiallyldimethyl ammonium chloride. Various polymers with oppositely charged groups (polycarboxybetaines) were investigated with respect to structure dependence, pH dependence and molecular mass dependence of interand intramolecular association.

Dual-opposite injection electrokinetic chromatography for the unbiased, simultaneous separation of cationic and anionic compounds

The concept of dual opposite injection in capillary electrophoresis (DOI-CE) for the simultaneous separation, under conditions of suppressed electroosmotic flow, of anionic and cationic compounds with no bias in resolution and analysis time, is extended to a higher pH range in a zone electrophoresis mode (DOI-CZE). A new DOI-CE separation mode based on electrokinetic chromatography is also introduced (DOI-EKC). Whereas conventional CZE and DOI-CZE are limited to the separation of charged compounds with different electrophoretic mobilities, DOI-EKC is shown to be capable of separating compounds with the same or similar electrophoretic mobilities. In contrast to conventional EKC with charged pseudostationary phases that often interact too strongly with analytes of opposite charge, the neutral pseudostationary phases appropriate for DOI-EKC are simultaneously compatible with anionic and cationic compounds. This work describes two buffer additives that dynamically suppress electroosmotic flow (EOF) at a higher pH (6.5) than in a previous study (4.4), thus allowing DOI-CZE of several pharmaceutical bases and weakly acidic positional isomers. Several DOI-EKC systems based on nonionic (10 lauryl ether, Brij 35) or zwitterionic (SB-12, CAS U) micelles, or nonionic vesicles (Brij 30) are examined using a six-component test mixture that is difficult to separate by CZE or DOI-CZE. The effect of electromigration dispersion on peak shape and efficiency, and the effect of surfactant concentration on retention, selectivity, and efficiency are described.

Strategies for capillary electrophoresis: method development and validation for pharmaceutical and biological applications

This review is in support of the development of selective, reproducible and validated capillary electrophoretis (CE) methods. Focusing on pharmaceutical and biological applications, the successful use of CE is demonstrated by more than 800 references, mainly from 1994 until 1998. Approximately 80 recent reviews have been catalogued. These articles sum up the existing strategies for method development in CE, especially in the search for generally accepted concepts, but also looking for new, promising reagents and ideas. General strategies for method development were derived not only with regard to selectivity and efficiency, but also with regard to precision, short analysis time, limit of detection, sample pretreatment requirements and validation. Standard buffer recipes, surfactants used in micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC), chiral selectors, useful buffer additives, polymeric separation media, electroosmotic flow (EOF) modifiers, dynamic and permanent coatings, actions to deal with complex matrices and aspects of validation are collected in 20 tables. Detailed schemes for the development of MEKC methods and chiral separations, for optimizing separation efficiency, means of troubleshooting, and other important information for key decisions during method development are given in 19 diagrams. Method development for peptide and protein separations, possibilities to influence the EOF and how to stabilize it, as well as indirect detection are considered in special sections.

The effect of blob size and network dynamics on the size-based separation of polystyrenesulfonates by capillary electrophoresis in the presence of entangled polymer solutions

This work focuses on the separation of standard polystyrenesulfonates (PSS), with molecular masses (Mr) between 16 and 990 x 10(3) in capillaries filled with semidilute (entangled) linear hydrophilic polymers. Contrary to cross-linked chemical gels, which produce permanent networks, solutions of linear polymers lead to dynamic networks. The analytical performances and migration mechanisms are discussed on the basis of experiments performed in solutions of linear polyethyleneoxides and derivatized celluloses of various molecular masses. The influence of the mesh size and of the lifetime of the obstacles of the separating network has been investigated in detail. The mesh size is assimilated to the blob size of the separating polymer and is a decreasing function of its concentration. The lifetime of the obstacles of the network, identified with the reptation time of the polymer chain, characterizes its dynamics. This characteristic time increases with both the molecular weight of the separating polymer and its concentration. Its impact was first examined at fixed blob size. Then, the influence of the blob size was studied while keeping the reptation time of the network constant. By doing so, the existence of interactions between the solute and the separating polymer or between the solute and capillary wall can be more safely assessed. It appears that the reptation time of the mesh has a large influence on the electrophoretic mobility of the PSSs under a threshold value, which is of the order of magnitude of the time taken by the PSS to migrate on the blob size. Also shown are separations using networks made up with mixtures of polyethyleneoxides of the same nature and same mass concentration, but of very different molecular masses. This latter approach allows one to adapt the viscosity of the solution and the dynamics of the network, keeping the blob size constant.

Size-based separation of polyelectrolytes by capillary zone electrophoresis: migration regimes and selectivity of poly(styrenesulphonates) in solutions of derivatized cellulose

The migration regimes and the separation selectivity of linear poly(styrenesulfonates) (PSS) were investigated in solutions of linear polymeric hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC). Variable parameters were the number of PSS monomer units (in the range of 25-6520), HEC concentration (below and above the entanglement threshold), molecular mass of HEC (between 35900 and 438000 Da) and electric field strength (from 190 to 1140 V/cm). Besides those regimes which are known for migration of polyelectrolytes in physical networks (Ogston sieving, reptation without and with orientation), the observed separation below the entanglement threshold indicates an effect of solute-chain interactions similar to that observed for the separation of double-stranded DNA. From the dependence of the separation selectivity on HEC concentration and molecular weight it was found that both parameters increase the separation. The selectivity of the solutions of higher concentrated low molecular HEC was compared to lower concentrated high molecular HEC, which has a similar bulk viscosity, and therefore obeys comparable peak dispersion due to thermal broadening. At high field strengths (preferably used in capillary electrophoresis) the former gave better separation only for shorter PSS molecules. For separation of longer PSS molecules, only high molecular HEC is applicable due to the deformation of the low molecular matrix by large analyte molecules.

An improvement of restriction analysis of bacteriophage DNA using capillary electrophoresis in agarose solution

Seven representatives of the serogroup B Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophages, 29, 53, 55, 83A, 85, phi 11 and 80 alpha, were examined by capillary electrophoresis (CE) for genomic homology using DNA restriction analysis. Genomic DNA of individual bacteriophages was cleaved by HindIII restriction endonuclease, and the resulting restriction fragments were separated by standard horizontal agarose slab gel electrophoresis (SGE) as well as by CE in low-melting-point agarose solutions. The number and size of restriction fragments identified by both methods were compared. The high separation power of CE makes it possible to extend the restriction fragment patterns. In most of the restriction patterns, some additional restriction fragments as small as 150 bp, not identified by SGE, were detected. With respect to speed, high separation efficiency, low sample consumption and automation, CE offers a simple procedure for processing of multiple samples cost-effectively in a reasonable time. The comparison of the complemented restriction patterns of the different phage strains and the subsequent identification of their common fragments leads to a deeper understanding of their phylogenetic relationships. The genome homologies expressed for individual phage pairs in terms of coefficient F values ranged from 15 to 69%. These values are in good accordance with the degree of DNA homology of these phages as determined by DNA hybridization studies and thermal denaturation analysis of DNA by other authors. The total size of each phage genome was estimated by adding the sizes of individual restriction fragments.

Capillary electrophoresis of DNA in uncross-linked polymer solutions

We have used dilute and semi-dilute uncross-linked hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) solutions as separation matrices for capillary electrophoresis of DNA restriction fragments. In these experiments, we investigated the effects of HEC molecular weight and concentration on resolution, attempting to relate these parameters to the polymer entanglement threshold concentration. The entanglement thresholds of seven molecular weight fractions of hydroxyethyl cellulose were determined from viscosity-concentration data; the entanglement threshold was found to scale as N-1.2, where N = number of HEC monomers. This finding is not in agreement with classical scaling arguments. We present a relationship to predict the observed entanglement threshold of HEC in solution as a function of number average molecular weight. It was found that excellent separation of phi X174/HaeIII DNA restriction fragments (72-1353 base pairs) by capillary electrophoresis in HEC solutions can be achieved significantly below the entanglement threshold, depending on DNA size and HEC molecular weight. The mechanism of separation in these uncross-linked polymer solutions must therefore be reexamined. Our experiments show that the entanglement threshold is a useful parameter in predicting a range of HEC concentrations which will separate certain DNA fragments for a given HEC molecular weight. However, the presence of a fully entangled network is not a prerequisite for separation.

Capillary electrophoresis of DNA restriction fragments with solutions of entangled polymers

Separation of DNA restriction fragments in dilute buffer solutions of network forming polymers such as linear polyacrylamide (PAA), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) in phosphate buffer were investigated. PVA in buffers already became inhomogeneous after a few separations with resultant deterioration of resolution. Hydroxylic polymers, capable of forming suitable networks in buffers, are strongly adsorbed to fused silica surfaces suppressing the electroosmotic flow. These polymers could be applied as surface modifiers in capillaries, filled with buffer media containing other polymers such as PAA. Suppression of the electroosmotic flow by adsorbed HEC at pH 7 was slightly more effective than with PVA but the former coating was less stable due to weaker binding to the fused silica surface. Good separations of restriction fragments could be achieved with solutions of PAA or HEC as separation media after surface pretreatment of fused silica capillaries by either PVA rinsing or coating according to Hjertén.

DNA shape and separation efficiency in polymer media: a computerized method based on electrophoretic mobility data

The computer program ELPHOFIT for evaluation of the nonlinear plots of log-(mobility) vs. polymer concentration (Ferguson plots) in terms of molecular and polymer properties has been extended to yield a measure of the molecular sieving capacity of the polymer medium. The usefulness of the extended program, version 2.2, was exemplified by the evaluation of DNA shape and separation efficiency in solutions and gels of agarose and polyacrylamide, using previous reports in the literature as a data base. That application of the extended program yields the following results:(i) The size of migrating DNA can be compared with an equivalent sphere having the same free mobility for a particular set of experimental conditions. The decrease in size of the equivalent sphere with polymer concentration previously demonstrated for agarose solutions applies to all of these polymer media; it reveals a steep, hyperbolic decline of that radius in uncrosslinked polyacrylamide solutions in contrast to the shallow decline in the other three media. (ii) The separation efficiency of polyacrylamide gels exceeds that of uncrosslinked polyacrylamide solutions; the separation efficiency of agarose solutions for DNA smaller than 1 kb in length is higher than that of polyacrylamide solutions. Program ELPHOFIT 2.2 is available on request from the first author.

DNA digest analysis with capillary electrophoresis

DNA digest analysis with polymer-filled capillaries in capillary electrophoresis is described. The samples analyzed consisted of commercially available standards including a 100 base pair ladder with repeating units up to 2000 base pairs. Three DNA digests covered the most common small fragment ranges: up to 600 base pairs, up to 1500 base pairs and from 100 to 2500 base pairs. All samples were separated by traditional slab gel electrophoresis at various agarose concentrations and by automated capillary electrophoresis. The capillary electrophoretic separations were achieved with noncross-linked polyacrylamide from 6% monomer solutions. The acrylamide was polymerized inside the capillary, which was coated with a methacryloxysilane to insure binding of the polyacrylamide to the capillary wall. With 6% columns, excellent separations were observed up to 600 base pairs with base line resolution for fragments differing in less than 10 base pairs. Resolution power for fragments between 600 and 2200 decreased to about 300 base pairs. Compared to slab gels, capillary electrophoresis achieved better resolution in the low fragment range, whereas with the reported column composition, slab gels were superior above 600 base pairs. Fast access to the analysis of a specific sample, automation, and a larger dynamic range for sample load are further benefits of a DNA digest analysis by capillary electrophoresis.