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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Capillary Electrophoresis to Monitor Peptide Grafting onto Chitosan Films in Real Time
Published on: October 26, 2016
Separation of peptides and proteins by capillary electrophoresis using acidic buffers containing tetraalkylammonium
Changyu Quang1, Amir Malek, Morteza G Khaledi
1Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Abstract:
A method for improving separations of peptides and other positively charged species in capillary zone electrophoresis with untreated capillaries using acidic buffers containing tetraalkylammonium cations is described. Tetramethylammonium and tetrabutylammonium cations dynamically modify the capillary surface, leading to a reversal in the direction of the electroosmotic flow. As a result, the adsorption of positively charged peptides and proteins is minimized, and resolution and peak capacity are improved as the migration of cationic analytes is counterbalanced by the electroosmotic flow. The combining effect of reversing electroosmotic flow and cyclodextrin inclusion complexation on separations of closely related peptides and a protein mixture, as well as tryptic digest of hemoglobin is demonstrated.
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