Cation-selective electropreconcentration

Lab Chip. 2014 Jun 7;14(11):1811-5. doi: 10.1039/c4lc00024b. Epub 2014 Apr 15.

Abstract

A cation-selective microfluidic sample preconcentration system is described. The cation sample was electropreconcentrated using a reversed-direction electroosmotic flow (EOF) and an anion-permselective filter, where an electric double layer (EDL) overlap condition existed. The anion-permselective filter between microchannels was fabricated by three different methods: 1) extending a positively charged, nanoporous, polymer membrane by photopolymerization of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC); 2) etching a nanochannel and then coating it with a positively-charged monomer, N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]-N'-(4-vinylbenzyl)ethylenediamine hydrochloride (TMSVE); and, 3) etching a nanochannel and then coating it with a positively-charged, pre-formed polymer, polyE-323. The EOF direction in the microchannel was reversed by both TMSVE and polyE-323 coatings. The cation-selective preconcentration was investigated using charged fluorescent dyes and tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)-tagged peptides/proteins. The preconcentration in the three different systems was compared with respect to efficiency, dependence on buffer concentration and pH, tolerable flow rate, and sample adsorption. Both TMSVE- and polyE-323-coated nanochannels showed robust preconcentration at high flow rates, whereas the PDADMAC membrane maintained anion-permselectivity at higher buffer concentrations. The TMSVE-coated nanochannels showed a more stable preconcentration process, whereas the polyE-323-coated nanochannels showed a lower peptide sample adsorption and robust efficiency under a wide range of buffer pHs. The system described here can potentially be used for the preconcentration of cationic peptides/proteins on microfluidic devices for subsequent analyses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cations / chemistry
  • Electrochemical Techniques* / instrumentation
  • Electrochemical Techniques* / methods
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Polyethylenes
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

Substances

  • Cations
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Peptides
  • Polyethylenes
  • Proteins
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • poly-N,N-dimethyl-N,N-diallylammonium chloride