Evaluation of a microconcentric nebulizer and its suction effect in a capillary electrophoresis interface with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Citation
C. B'Hymer et al., Evaluation of a microconcentric nebulizer and its suction effect in a capillary electrophoresis interface with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, APPL SPECTR, 54(7), 2000, pp. 1040-1046
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Spectroscopy /Instrumentation/Analytical Sciences
Journal title
APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY
ISSN journal
00037028 → ACNP
Volume
54
Issue
7
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1040 - 1046
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-7028(200007)54:7<1040:EOAMNA>2.0.ZU;2-5
Abstract
An experimental consideration and common difficulty when interfacing capill ary electrophoresis (CE) with plasma mass spectrometry via a pneumatic nebu lizer is the suction effect caused by the natural aspiration of the nebuliz er. This is a significant effect in terms of the CE experiment, since it ca n seriously degrade the separation of analytes, In this study, a pneumatic microconcentric nebulizer was studied as a CE interface with inductively co upled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A self-aspirating sheath flow inte rface technique was used to reduce the suction effect of the nebulizer by u sing a separation of metallothionein I and ferritin. However, the sheath fl ow or make-up buffer technique has not been studied sufficiently with respe ct to all the effects on the CE analysis. In this evaluation, a sol-gel fri t was plated in the sample introduction end in this CE system, and the cont ribution of the suction effect to both sample response from sample loading and elution times was observed. It was found that the studied microconcentr ic nebulizer could be used effectively with the self-aspirating sheath flow technique; however, the contribution of the suction effect to sample loadi ng to the CE system is very high. The peak area response difference of an o pen capillary vs, a sol-gel fritted capillary was approximately one order o f magnitude greater. Also, the fritted capillary experiments showed that th e contribution to migration time from aspiration of the nebulizer through t he CE capillary is very significant.