Postcolumn reactor using a laser-drilled capillary for light-emitting diode-induced fluorescence detection in CE

This study investigated a novel postcolumn reactor for fluorescence detection in CE. A laser-drilled capillary, with an aperture made by laser ablation, was used for mixing derivatization reagents with the analytes separated by CZE. The derivatization reagents, o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA), and 2-mercaptoethanol, were introduced into the capillary through the aperture and reacted with the analytes after CZE separation. High voltages were applied to both the inlet reservoir and the reservoir filled with the derivatization reagents. Thus, the flow rate of the derivatization reagents was controlled by the electric potential that was applied to the reservoir of the derivatization reagents. A UV light-emitting diode was used as an excitation light source for the fluorescence detection of OPA derivatives. A commercially available tee connector was compared with the laser-drilled capillary. The results implied that the dead volume of the laser-drilled capillary was less than that of the tee connector, since the laser-drilled capillary suppressed band broadening more efficiently. The LODs for amino acids were determined to be ∼5 μM. The method was applied to the determination of amino acids in a Japanese beverage.