Linear voltage profiles and flow homogeneity in pressurized planar electrochromatography

Planar electrochromatography (PEC) is an emerging technique for thin-layer chromatography (TLC) where electroosmosis is the driving force for the solvent, not capillary action. This allows for much faster and constant flow rates in turn yielding increased zone capacities and efficiencies. Instrumental designs have changed greatly over the last few years solving many of the initial instrumentation challenges. We have previously shown that low applied pressure (or no applied pressure) PEC instruments do not give linear voltage drops across the separation path length of a TLC plate, which in turn results in non-stable electroosmotic flow (EOF). By the use of our unique reader electrode grid we have the ability to monitor the potential at eight discrete positions throughout the 10-cm separation path length. We now show that high-pressure PEC instruments, most commonly referred to as pressurized planar electrochromatography (PPEC) do show a linear voltage drop and constant EOF. We compare plate equilibration times of PPEC and low-pressure PEC, use of increased field strengths, as well as sample application designs. In addition, we discuss the use of rhodamine B as a visual marker for reproducible migration and calculation of theoretical plates.