CONTINUOUS SEPARATIONS WITH MICROFABRICATED ELECTROPHORESIS-ELECTROCHEMICAL ARRAY DETECTION

A novel electrochemical detection scheme for channel electrophoresis h as been developed. A microfabricated array of individually addressed m icroelectrodes has been used as a site-specific amperometric detector for continuous separations in a buffer-filled rectangular channel. Con tinuous separations of picomole quantities of dopamine and catechol by channel electrophoresis with this new defection scheme have been demo nstrated. Dopamine, an electroactive neurotransmitter, has been contin uously monitored for 60 min with the electrochemical array detector. T he new detection technique should allow dynamic chemical events in vol ume-limited microenvironments (i.e. single cells) to be examined with channel electrophoresis.