Optimization of the separation of ionizable compounds in micellar electrokinetic chromatography by simultaneous change of pH and SDS concentration

A method to optimize the separation in micellar EKC (MEKC) of mixtures of acidic compounds as a function of two parameters, pH and concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate, has been developed. The method considers the prediction of the retention time and the shape of the peaks. The retention time is predicted from the retention factor model and the peak shape by a polynomically modified Gaussian function that considers peak width, asymmetry factor, and height. An algorithm to calculate the global resolution of the separation at any experimental pH and [SDS] has been applied. This algorithm provides a 3‐D resolution map to easily detect the areas in which resolution for the separation of the compounds is maximum. Initial experiments to fit the models have been performed with a set of ten phenolic compounds with different hydrophobicities and pKa values, and therefore, expected to behave in a different way with changes of pH and surfactant concentration. The experiments encompassed a pH range from 6.7 to 11.1, and a sodium dodecyl sulfate concentration range from 40 to 80 mM. Through the proposed methodology, chromatograms have been simulated at different pH and [SDS] very accurately. Furthermore, the resolution at any experimental point within the studied ranges have been also calculated, giving an optimum resolution value at pH 6.7 and [SDS] = 72 mM.