Performance of a physically adsorbed high-molecular-mass polyethyleneimine layer as coating for the separation of basic proteins and peptides by capillary electrophoresis

A simple method for the preparation of a polyethyleneimine (PEI) coating on the inner surface of fused-silica capillaries for capillary electrophoresis (CE) is reported. The PEI layer can be coated on the silica surface by just flushing the capillary with a solution containing high-molecular-mass PEI. The physically adsorbed layer appears to be very stable and can be used in a pH range of 3-11. In comparison to described methods to fabricate an immobilized PEI layer, the proposed method does not require an immobilization step, is simple and the preparation time of the coating is less than two hours. Good reproducibilities of migration times of basic proteins and peptides were obtained on the same PEI-coated capillary as well as on different PEI-coated capillaries. For basic proteins efficiencies ranging from 300 000-500 000 plates per meter were normally found.

[1]  F. Regnier,et al.  Polyethyleneimine-bonded phases in the separation of proteins by capillary electrophoresis. , 1990, Journal of chromatography.

[2]  H. Lauer,et al.  Capillary zone electrophoresis of proteins in untreated fused silica tubing , 1986 .

[3]  G. Bruin,et al.  Capillary zone electrophoretic separations of proteins in polyethylene glycol-modified capillaries , 1989 .

[4]  Sam F. Y. Li.  Capillary Electrophoresis: Principles, Practice and Applications , 1992 .

[5]  Joel T. Smith,et al.  Capillary zone electrophoresis of biological substances with fused silica capillaries having zero or constant electroosmotic flow , 1993, Electrophoresis.

[6]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[7]  W. Nashabeh,et al.  Capillary zone electrophoresis of proteins with hydrophilic fused-silica capillaries , 1991 .

[8]  Stellan Hjertén,et al.  High-performance electrophoresis : Elimination of electroendosmosis and solute adsorption , 1985 .

[9]  G. Schomburg,et al.  Capillary Zone Electrophoresis Separations of Basic and Acidic Proteins Using Poly(vinyl alcohol) Coatings in Fused Silica Capillaries , 1994 .

[10]  R. McCormick.  Capillary zone electrophoretic separation of peptides and proteins using low pH buffers in modified silica capillaries. , 1988, Analytical chemistry.

[11]  Milton L. Lee,et al.  High efficiency cross‐linked polyacrylamide coating for capillary electrophoresis of proteins , 1992 .

[12]  Tiansong. Wang,et al.  Capillary modification and evaluation using streaming potential and frontal chromatography for protein analysis in capillary electrophoresis , 1992 .

[13]  High-efficiency capillary electrophoretic separation of basic proteins using coated capillaries and cationic buffer additives: Evaluation of protein—capillary wall interactions , 1993 .