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A new method of capillary electrophoresis (CE) using laser induced fluorescence (LIF) detection via online pre-concentration techniques including transient trapping combined with the dynamic pH junction mode was developed for the sensitive determination of glutathione in biological samples. The mechanism together with the important parameters governing the pre-concentration and separation were investigated in order to obtain maximum resolution and sensitivity. The analytes were compressed into a narrow zone due to the effect of the dynamic pH junction mode, and then transiently trapped by SDS micelles at the interface of the sample and micellar areas. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection for reduced glutathione, glycine, oxidized glutathione, cysteine, and glutamic acid were 0.01, 0.01, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.1 nM (S/N = 3), respectively. The enhancement factors obtained when using the transient trapping combined with the dynamic pH junction mode as a pre-concentration process were enhanced from 87 to 430 when compared to the results obtained by the classical capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) mode. Moreover, this optimized method was successfully applied to bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus) and HaCaT cell samples for the determination of reduced glutathione with satisfactory recoveries.

We reported the use of polydopamine/Au nanoparticles/DNA (PDA/Au NPs/DNA) as a stationary phase for the separation of tryptophan enantiomers by microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE). The stationary phase was formed by sequentially immobilizing PDA/Au NPs and DNA to the glass microfluidic channel surface using layer-by-layer assembly. The formation of PDA/Au NPs as a functional film involved the use of HAuCl4 as an oxidant to trigger DA self-polymerization. DA was then used as a reductant to reduce HAuCl4 to Au NPs. All these Au NPs were simultaneously deposited on the microchip surface by the adhesive PDA, and the thiolated DNA was strongly adsorbed onto the glass microfluidic channel surface through covalent gold–sulfur bonding. The functional film of the PDA/Au NPs/DNA was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectra and ATR-FT-IR. The influence of separation voltage and the concentration and pH value of the running buffer were found to significantly influence separation. Successful baseline separation of tryptophan enantiomers was achieved within 65 s utilizing an effective separation length of 33 mm, and coupling with laser-induced fluorescence detection resulted in a resolution factor of 2.95. All these evaluation parameters, including stability and reproducibility, were considered satisfactory. The method outlined here, using the PDA/Au NPs/DNA-coated microfluidic channel as a versatile platform, may offer a processing strategy to prepare a functional surface on microfluidic chips.

A novel Congo red (CR) derivatized silica stationary phase was prepared and packed into a fused silica capillary tube for nano-flow HPLC. A variety of analytes including poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, parabens, acids, sulfonamides, bases, and nucleosides were successfully separated using the CR. In comparison with commercial ODS columns, this new stationary phase has a different separation mechanism (hydrophobically-assisted ion-exchange), which was evident in the separation of benzoic acid derivatives and sulfonamides. The successful application of CR-bonded silica stationary phase in the HILIC and PALC modes demonstrates the effectiveness of this potential chromatographic material in nano flow HPLC.