Capillary electrophoretic determination of inorganic and organic anions using 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid: Effect of electrolyte's complexing ability

A capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed with indirect UV detection for the analysis of inorganic and organic anions using a background electrolyte (BGE), 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDC). The parameters which influence the separation of these anions, such as electrolyte pH, concentration of PDC and applied voltage, were investigated. Three inorganic anions and nine organic acids were determined simultaneously in less than 7 min. The R.S.D. (n=6) values of the method were around 0.1% for migration time and better than 2.6% for peak area. This method is rapid, sensitive and quantitative and could be readily applied to the analysis of inorganic and organic anions in beer. In the present paper, the effect of the complexing ability of the BGE on the analysis of organic acids is also discussed.