CHEM 470/ME 497

Electrophoresis Homework
Due: Thursday, January 29, 2009

1. We have a 30.0 cm capillary with an i.d. of 50 m and a negatively charged analyte with
an electrophoretic mobility of -3.6 x 10−9 m2 V−1 s−1. At an applied voltage of 15 kV,
EOF was found to be 4.0 x 10−3 m/s.

a. What must the wall charge (σw in C/cm2) be in order to support the reported
electroosmotic flow velocity? Assume the Debye length is the typical 0.3 nm
with a solution viscosity of 9.9 x 10 9 J•s/cm3.

b. What time is required to inject a 0.3 cm sample plug hydrodynamically using a

pressure of 2.5 x 103 kg/(m∙s2)? The run buffer has a viscosity of 1 x 10-3 kg m−1
s−1?

c. What time is required to inject the same length sample plug as that in part a using
an electrokinetic injection at 15 kV? You may assume that the conductivity of the
run buffer is 10 times greater than that of the sample.

d. With an applied voltage of 15 kV, how long will it take the analyte to reach the
detector window at a distance of 25.0 cm from the capillary inlet?

2. Now consider an electrophoretic separation of the same solute above taking place in a 7
cm long glass microchannel with the same run buffer and applied voltage of 15 kV.

a. Determine the electroosmotic velocity in the microchannel.

b. What time is required to inject a 0.06 cm length sample plug using an

electrokinetic injection at 15 kV? You may assume that the conductivity of the
run buffer is 10 times greater than that of the sample.

c. How long will it take the solute to travel a distance of 6 cm in the channel?