Optimization of resolution in capillary zone electrophoresis: combined effect of applied voltage and buffer concentration.

Expressions are formulated for the prediction of solute migration time and resolution as a function applied voltage and buffer concentration in capillary zone electrophoresis. The resolution equation assumes that solute diffusion is the only operative zone-broadening mechanism. A resolution surface in applied voltage and buffer concentration space is presented featuring isochrones that are used to predict the behavior of resolution under constant analysis time. In the resolution-voltage planes the resolution increases continuously with increasing voltage. At the high-voltage border, the resolution decreases continuously with increasing concentration, however, at the low-voltage border the resolution passes through a shallow maximum as the buffer concentration is increased. At constant analysis time, resolution is optimized by simultaneously increasing the voltage and the buffer concentration. In comparison, this theoretical approach, which predicts resolution from solute migration times only, gives values that are consistently about 40-50% higher than experimentally determined resolution.