Question 1

How does capillary electrophoresis separate molecules?

Accepted Answer

Capillary electrophoresis separates molecules based on their electrophoretic mobility, which depends on charge, size, and solvent viscosity. An electric field applied across a capillary tube causes positively-charged molecules to move faster toward the negative outlet, while negatively-charged molecules move slower toward the positive inlet. Neutral molecules are carried along with the bulk flow, resulting in separation by charge and size.

Question 2

What is electro-osmotic flow in capillary electrophoresis?

Accepted Answer

Electro-osmotic flow is the bulk movement of solution through the capillary caused by the electric field. Positively-charged salt ions along the negatively-charged capillary walls move toward the negative end, pulling the solution in the center through the tube. This flow carries all molecules, including neutral ones, and contributes to the overall separation efficiency in the capillary.

Question 3

Why is capillary electrophoresis more efficient than high-performance liquid chromatography?

Accepted Answer

Capillary electrophoresis has a large surface area-to-volume ratio that dissipates heat efficiently, allowing voltages of 10,000–20,000 V to be applied without damaging the separation. This high voltage enables faster, more efficient separations with greater peak capacity than high-performance liquid chromatography. CE separations are particularly effective for charged molecules and provide superior resolution.

Question 4

How are molecules detected and recorded in capillary electrophoresis?

Accepted Answer

Molecules are detected by a detector such as UV-Vis as they exit the capillary. The detector signal intensity is plotted versus time to create an electropherogram, which shows peaks corresponding to different compounds. The electropherogram reveals how many compounds are present in a sample and the amount of each substance based on peak position and area.

Question 5

What sample preparation steps are necessary before running capillary electrophoresis?

Accepted Answer

Before running CE, prepare stock solutions of analytes at known concentrations, then create standard solutions and calibration standards at varying concentrations. For soda samples, degassing with nitrogen removes dissolved gases that could interfere with separation. Samples are placed in vials and loaded into the instrument's sample holder, with careful recording of each vial's location for accurate analysis.

Question 6

How is a calibration curve used to determine analyte concentration in capillary electrophoresis?

Accepted Answer

A calibration curve is created by running standard solutions of known concentrations and measuring their peak areas. The relationship between concentration and peak area is plotted to establish a linear standard curve. Unknown sample peak areas are then compared to this curve to calculate the analyte concentration, enabling quantitative analysis of compounds like caffeine in soft drink samples.

Question 7

What are the applications of capillary electrophoresis in pharmaceutical and research settings?

Accepted Answer

Capillary electrophoresis is used in pharmaceutical quality control to detect side products in drugs and verify proper protein folding. It separates DNA fragments with single base-pair resolution for sequencing and genetic analysis. When coupled with a mass spectrometer, CE can identify protein modifications and their locations, making it valuable for characterizing complex biological molecules in academic and industrial laboratories.

Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) - Assessment Quiz