New Comb-Like Polyelectrolytes in Capillary Electrophoresis

New comb-like polyelectrolytes with triethylammonium (pAUTEA-Br), N-methyl-piperidinium (pAUMP-Br), N-methyl-morpholinium (pAUMM-Br) and pyridinium (pAUPy-Br) cation groups were first used to separate steroid hormones, biogenic amines and amino acids under capillary electrophoresis conditions. The polymers acted as modifiers of electrophoretic systems and were used as dynamic coatings of inner surface of fused-silica capillary and additives to background electrolyte to perform capillary electrochromatography and micellar electrokinetic chromatography regimes, leading to increase in separation selectivity and efficiency, and as reagents for indirect spectrophotometric detection of amino acids. New materials also showed activity during on-line preconcentration of biogenic amines and reduced their limits of detections by 10 times. Thus, new comb-like polyelectrolytes were demonstrated to act as multifunctional materials for capillary electrophoresis. This study discusses the features of the influence of the polyelectrolytes on electrophoretic separation capabilities and their possibilities in separation of model biologically active substances. Modifiers of this type significantly expand the analytical capabilities of the capillary electrophoresis method.