A quantitative study on the effect of organic modifiers in micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

A quantitative study was made on the effect of organic modifiers in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). A linear relationship between 1/k' and organic modifier concentration ([L]) at lower concentration range was derived and experimentally verified. This linearity was also examined at higher concentrations of organic modifier. The results showed that the linear relationship between 1/k' and [L] can only be observed under the situation that no significant change on micellar structure occurs upon the addition of organic modifiers. The mobility ratio of the solute which characterizes the properties of the solute was found to be mainly independent of [L]. A resolution equation for the neutral solutes was also derived in term of mobility ratio.