New Developments in Capillary Ion Chromatography Systems with Electrochemical Detection and Their Applications (original) (raw)

There has been increasing interest in the development of capillary ion chromatography (IC) systems and methods for the determination of electrochemically active species. The practice of IC in the capillary format (i.e., using small-bore columns with internal diameters of < 1 mm) has a number of potential advantages including small sampling volumes, potential of improved mass detection limits, and lower eluent consumption. Here, the use of such a system in carbohydrates analysis is presented. Low sample volumes, in particular, offer improved compatibility with Bio IC applications, where biologically relevant samples are limited. Additionally, the operation of capillary IC at low flow rates reduces waste generated in the laboratory setting. The practice of IC in the capillary format offers possibilities of new selectivity for difficult applications using new columns packed with previously difficult-to-prepare stationary phases. Here, ongoing efforts in the development of capillary IC systems with on-line electrolytic eluent generation (EG) and electrochemical detection for determination of target analytes are reported. A discussion is presented on the optimization of capillary consumables and the advantages of using capillary IC systems in the determination of target analytes. Furthermore, it is also demonstrated that with Always on, Always Ready, a system at capillary chemistries and flow rates allows undiminished sensitivity and selectivity with minimum involvement by the IC user.