System for interfacing capillary zone electrophoresis and inductively

Abstract

A system for interfacing Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE) systems to Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) sample analysis systems is disclosed. The interface system includes a Sample Introduction Electrophoresis Capillary Tube as an integral part of a modified Direct Injection Nebulizer (DIN) system. During use sample components separated by (CZE) are entered to the modified (DIN) via a sample introduction electrophoresis capillary tube present therein, in which modified (DIN) they are mixed with an entered make-up liquid. The make-up liquid is conductive and serves to make electrophoresis effecting electrical contact to the end of the sample introduction electrophoresis capillary tube in the modified (DIN). The resulting mixture of make-up liquid and separated sample components is nebulized by simultaneous ejection of concentric sample component and make-up liquid mixture and an entered gas flow, to provide a multiplicity of small diameter droplets which are typically injected into an Inductively Coupled Plasma Torch for ionization, prior to entry of resulting ionized sample components to a Mass Spectrometer sample analysis system for detection and analysis thereof. It is noted that the presence of the make-up liquid buffers the effect of the entered nebulizing gas flow upon the capillary zone electrophoresis process, thereby allowing decoupled separate optimization of sample separation and nebulizing processes.