Microchip free flow planar reversed phase electrochromatography with monolithic stationary phase

In this study, microchip free flow planar RP electrochromatography (microFF-PRPEC) was developed by in situ polymerization of monolithic materials in microchamber, and successfully applied for the separation of dyes and proteins. Poly(butyle methyacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) was prepared by UV-initiated polymerization in a glass microchamber (42 mm long, 23 mm wide, and 28 microm deep). A mixture of 1-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, and water was chosen as porogens, and 1.2% (wt%) 2-acrylamide-2-methyl-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) was added into the polymerization solution to generate EOF. With 30% v/v ACN-15 mM Tris-HCl as the mobile phase, rhodamine B and methyl green were separated from each other with 400 V transverse voltage applied, and resolution as high as 4.6 was obtained, much higher than that obtained by microFFE under optimal conditions. Furthermore, microFF-PRPEC was also successfully applied into the separation of lysozyme and ribonuclease B, and resolution as high as 9.4 was obtained. All these results demonstrate that microFF-RPPEC might have great potential in the microscale continuous preparation of samples with improved resolution compared to microFFE.