A Cost-Effective Microfluidic Device to Teach the Principles of Electrophoresis and Electroosmosis.

Electrophoresis is integral to analytical and biochemistry experiences in undergraduate education; however, fundamental principles of the method are often taught in upper-level laboratories through hands-on experiences. A laboratory activity is reported that teaches the concepts of electrophoretic mobility and electroosmotic flow. A single reuseable instrument, called a mini-E, costs 37 USD and consists of a DC power supply, a voltmeter, platinum electrodes, and a chip cast in polydimethylsiloxane. This activity uses common reagents costing only 0.02 USD per student. Experiments are devised that allow students to investigate the properties of electrophoretic flow and electroosmotic flow by separating the two commonly used food dyeing agents Brilliant Blue FCF and Allura Red AC in vinegar and in a solution of ammonium hydroxide. A dark-purple mixture of these dyes is separated into red and blue bands that are easily visualized. The migration order of the dyes differs when the separation is performed under conditions of reversed polarity and suppressed electroosmotic flow (vinegar) compared to conditions of normal polarity and active electroosmotic flow (ammonium hydroxide). When delivered to chemistry majors, students had a significant gain in their ability to apply the concepts of electroosmosis and electrophoresis to predict analyte migration. Although this activity targets upper-level chemistry content, it can also be adapted for other laboratory experiences.

A Low-Cost and Simple Demonstration of Freezing Point Depression and Colligative Properties with Common Salts and Ice Cream.

A laboratory activity was developed to teach freezing point depression and colligative properties to introductory-level chemistry students. The laboratory uses food-grade reagents and is delivered in two units that can be taught in a single 2 hour session or two separate sessions. The total cost of the consumables is 1 USD. In the first part of this two-part activity, students perform measurements on the properties of five salt solutions to better know and understand freezing point depression. In the second part of the activity, students apply their knowledge and understanding of freezing point depression to make ice cream. The ice-cream-making experiment is delivered as a group activity to encourage reflection. Centering this experiment on ice cream allows students to connect properties described in chemistry to everyday life. The solutions used in the experiment are reusable and nonhazardous. The experiment can be implemented in a classroom, in a teaching laboratory, or at home.

Nanoflow Sheath Voltage-Free Interfacing of Capillary Electrophoresis and Mass Spectrometry for the Detection of Small Molecules.

Coupling capillary electrophoresis (CE) to mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful strategy to leverage a high separation efficiency with structural identification. Traditional CE-MS interfacing relies upon voltage to drive this process. Additionally, sheathless interfacing requires that the electrophoresis generates a sufficient volumetric flow to sustain the ionization process. Vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization (VSSI) is a new method to interface capillary electrophoresis to mass analyzers. In contrast to traditional interfacing, VSSI is voltage-free, making it straightforward for CE and MS. New nanoflow sheath CE-VSSI-MS is introduced in this work to reduce the reliance on the separation flow rate to facilitate the transfer of analyte to the MS. The nanoflow sheath VSSI spray ionization functions from 400 to 900 nL/min. Using the new nanoflow sheath reported here, volumetric flow rate through the separation capillary is less critical, allowing the use of a small (i.e., 20 to 25 µm) inner diameter separation capillary and enabling the use of higher separation voltages and faster analysis. Moreover, the use of a nanoflow sheath enables greater flexibility in the separation conditions. The nanoflow sheath is operated using aqueous solutions in the background electrolyte and in the sheath, demonstrating the separation can be performed under normal and reversed polarity in the presence or absence of electroosmotic flow. This includes the use of a wider pH range as well. The versatility of nanoflow sheath CE-VSSI-MS is demonstrated by separating cationic, anionic, and zwitterionic molecules under a variety of separation conditions. The detection sensitivity observed with nanoflow sheath CE-VSSI-MS is comparable to that obtained with sheathless CE-VSSI-MS as well as CE-MS separations with electrospray ionization interfacing. A bare fused silica capillary is used to separate cationic ß-blockers with a near-neutral background electrolyte at concentrations ranging from 1.0 nM to 1.0 µM. Under acidic conditions, 13 amino acids are separated with normal polarity at a concentration ranging from 0.25 to 5 µM. Finally, separations of anionic compounds are demonstrated using reversed polarity under conditions of suppressed electroosmotic flow through the use of a semipermanent surface coating. With a near-neutral separation electrolyte, anionic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are detected over a concentration range of 0.1 to 5.0 µM.