High performance capillary electrophoresis electro-osmotic flow

Landers, J. P., Oda, R. P., Madden, B. J., and Spelsberg, T. C., High-performance capillary electrophoresis of glycoproteins the use of modifiers of electro-osmotic flow for analysis of microheterogeneity, Anal. Biochem., 205, 115, 1992. 

The solution contained within the capillary in which the separation occurs is known as the background electrolyte (BGE), carrier electrolyte, or, simply, the buffer. The BGE always contains a buffer because pH control is the most important parameter in electrophoresis. The pH may affect the charge and thus the mobility of an ionizable solute. The electro-osmotic flow (EOF) is also affected by the buffer pH. Table 1 contains a list of buffers that may prove useful in high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE). As will be seen later, only a few of these buffers are necessary for most separations. 

The application of a potential gradient across the running buffer causes hydrated buffer cations to move towards the cathode. The resulting bulk flow of liquid is described as an electro-osmotic flow, and is of particular significance in high-performance capillary electrophoresis. 

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