A fully automated linear polyacrylamide coating and regeneration method for capillary electrophoresis of proteins

Surface modification of the inner capillary wall in CE of proteins is frequently required to alter EOF and to prevent protein adsorption. Manual protocols for such coating techniques are cumbersome. In this paper, an automated covalent linear polyacrylamide coating and regeneration process is described to support long-term stability of fused-silica capillaries for protein analysis. The stability of the resulting capillary coatings was evaluated by a large number of separations using a three-protein test mixture in pH 6 and 3 buffer systems. The results were compared to that obtained with the use of bare fused-silica capillaries. If necessary, the fully automated capillary coating process was easily applied to regenerate the capillary to extend its useful life-time.