Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis equipped with amperometric detection for analysis of chlorinated phenolic compounds.

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) equipped with amperometric detection has been developed for separation and detection of an 11-member model mixture of chlorinated phenolic compounds. With triacetyl-beta-cyclodextrin (TACD) as a novel selectivity selector, acetonitrile proved to be an excellent solvent for this water-insoluble cyclodextrin derivative. Resolution of the analytes was achieved by using an optimized acetonitrile medium consisting of 500 mM acetic acid, 10 mM sodium acetate, 12 mM TACD and 50 mM tetrabutylammonium perchlorate. Separation of analytes was attributed to differential electrostatic and/or inductive interactions of the analytes with the TACD/TBA+ complex and charged tetrabutylammonium phases. A simple end-column amperometric detector (Pt vs. Ag/AgCl, poised at +1.6 V) in conjunction with NACE was used to analyze chlorophenols. Amperometric detection of such target compounds in acetonitrile-based media offers high sensitivity and alleviates electrode fouling compared to aqueous buffers. The detection limits obtained, ranging from 30 nM to 500 nM, are 3-8-fold lower than those obtained with aqueous buffers.