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Capillary
Electrophoresis (CE) is electrophoresis carried out in a narrow-bore
(typically 50 – 100 um i.d.) capillary. This method has a number of advantages
over conventional electrophoresis techniques, some of which are:
·
It permits the use of very high voltages which translate into fast
run times.
·
It automates the total electrophoresis process.
·
It enables quantification, storage, and easy processing of peak data.
·
It allows on-line detection.
·
It provides very high separation efficiency.
·
It requires only very small sample amounts (pg).
(Perkin Elmer/ABI Model 270A-HT High Throughput
Capillary Electrophoresis System User’s Manual, Section 5, p. 5-1)
Chiral separations using CE employ the use of chiral
selectors such as modified α-, β-,
or γ-cyclodextrins
that selectively alter the migration times of one (or both) of the
enantiomers, based on the stability constants of each cyclodextrin-enantiomer
complex. Examples of parameters that
can be modified to improve enantiomeric resolution are the type of cyclodextrin,
the type and concentration of the background buffer solution, buffer pH, column
length, column temperature, and capillary wall modification.
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