Carbon nanotube-enhanced separation of DNA fragments by a portable capillary electrophoresis system with contactless conductivity detection

It was demonstrated that separation of DNA fragments by a CE-contactless conductivity detection system (CE-CCD) could be enhanced with multiple-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNs) as buffer additive. For HaeIII digest of Phi X174 DNA, optimized MWCN concentration was obtained when the MWCN was above its threshold concentration, at which MWCN could form a network in the buffer as pseudostationary phase to provide additional interaction sites. In the case of larger DNA, MWCN near or below its threshold concentration was enough to provide great improvement of the resolution, which was shown by the separation of the 2-Log DNA ladder. Furthermore, the buffer containing MWCN could provide a more stable baseline in the CE-CCD system, owing to less fluctuation of its conductivity. Compared with CE-UV, CE-CCD with MWCN could provide lower LODs as well as better resolution.