N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,3-butanediamine as effective running electrolyte additive for efficient electrophoretic separation of basic proteins in bare fused-silica capillaries

The effect of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,3-butanediamine (TMBD) in the running electrolyte on the electroosmotic flow and the migration behavior of four standard basic proteins in bare fused-silica capillaries was examined at pH 4.0, 5.5, and 6.5. Depending on the electrolyte pH and additive concentration the electroosmotic flow was either cathodic or anodic. A similar Langmuirian-type dependence of the electroosmotic flow on the concentration of TMBD in the running electrolyte was found at the three experimented pH values, which may be indicative of the specific adsorption of the additive in the immobilized region of the electric double layer at the interface between the capillary wall and the electrolyte solution. Electrophoretic separations of the four standard basic proteins performed at the three above pH values, showed well-resolved, efficient and symmetric peaks, demonstrating the utility of this additive for protein electrophoresis in bare fused-silica capillaries. The variations in separation efficiency, peak capacity, resolution and reproducibility of migration times as a function of the additive concentration at pH 6.5 were also examined.