Examination of pH and the Electric Field in Simultaneous Chromatography and Electrophoresis

Thin layer chromatography, with its history as a simple and effective means to identify compounds in a mixture, has motivated research to improve upon its foundations and develop novel techniques to further increase its speed and resolution while maintaining its simplicity. Simultaneous chromatography and electrophoresis (SCE) is a novel two-dimension separation technique that combines an electric field orthogonal to capillary action on a TLC plate. The simplicity of TLC is retained and separation is improved by allowing compounds to be separated according to both their charge-to-mass ratio and polarity. This work investigates how pH of both the mobile and stationary phases alter SCE separations. Additionally, different apparatus designs used to introduce and control mobile phase flow are evaluated. The highest-quality separations are achieved by applying pressure to the TLC plate during analysis.