Moment Analysis of Mass Transfer Kinetics in Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography Systems

Moment equations were developed for quantitatively studying the separation characteristics of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). They explain how the first absolute and second central moments of elution peaks are correlated with some fundamental parameters of the partition equilibrium and mass transfer kinetics in MEKC systems. In order to discuss the influence of the mass transfer kinetics on peak broadening, the moment equations were used to analyze the separation behavior in MEKC systems. Separation conditions were chosen on the basis of practical MEKC experiments previously conducted. It was quantitatively clarified that both the solute permeation at the interfacial boundary of surfactant micelles and axial diffusion of solute molecules in a capillary had a predominant contribution to the spreading of the elution peaks in MEKC systems. This is a preliminary study for the analytical determination of rate constants concerning solute permeation at the interface of surfactant micelles from elution peak profiles measured by MEKC. In addition, it was also indicated that the experimental conditions of MEKC systems could be controlled so that the interfacial solute permeation would have a predominant role for the band broadening. For example, the contribution of the interfacial permeation was about 33 times larger than that of the axial diffusion of solute molecules under the MEKC conditions in a previous study. This means that the rate constants could appropriately be determined for the interfacial solute permeation.