Application of crown ethers as modifiers for the separation of amines by capillary electrophoresis

The separation of amines with capillary electrophoresis (CE) was made possible by applying crown ethers such as 18-crown-6 and 15-crown-5 as modifiers. Crown ether 18-crown-6 performed better as a modifier than 15-crown-5. The mobility change of primary amines with 18-crown-6 was larger than that for secondary and tertiary amines. The mobility change of various amines with 18-crown-6 were in the order: 1-aminobutane>2-aminobutane>2-amino-2-methylpropane. Effects of crown ether concentration, pH and cations in the eluent of CE were also investigated and discussed. Some neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, isoproterenol and phenylalanine were separated successfully by using crown ethers in CE analysis.