Principles of Isotachophoresis and Dynamics of the Isotachophoretic Separation of Two Components

Abstract

This paper reviews the principles of isotachophoresis, a separation method in which a migrating steady-state zone structure is established through electrical transport. Prior to attaining steady state, a moving transient system of homogeneous zones is gradually reduced to consecutive sample zones of constant length, where all boundaries migrate with equal velocity. The separation process of a pair of sample components is discussed to illustrate the dynamics of this unique electrophoretic method. Solutions in terms of separation time, separation rate, and separation distance are given. Furthermore, techniques for the enhancement of the maximum sample load of a column are discussed. The features of isotachophoresis are presented to illustrate the advantages of multichannel zone detection in an isotachophoretic instrument.