Mixed cationic/anionic surfactants for semipermanent wall coatings in capillary electrophoresis

Mixtures of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) form more stable coatings in fused-silica capillaries than CTAB alone. The reversed electroosmotic flow (EOF) generated by CTAB/SDS mixtures remains stable for over 80 min after removal of the surfactants from the buffer. Enhanced stability (relative to CTAB alone) was found even when the ratio of SDS to CTAB was as low as 1%. This greater coating stability is attributed to the structural transition from adsorbed micelle to bilayer, which is induced by addition of SDS. Separation of a mixture of basic proteins yielded efficiencies of 364 000 562 000 plates/m and recoveries ranging from 85% to 98%. Migration time reproducibility was less than 0.9% relative standard deviation (RSD) from run to run and less than 2.6% RSD from day to day.