A generalized computational formulation and model for transport and stoichiometry of multivalent weak analytes in Capillary Electrophoresis techniques

A generalized mathematical and computational model for various Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) techniques is presented. Accurate analysis of these electrokinetic phenomena can only be performed when the chemical interaction of the analytes with the system are taken into consideration. It should also be taken into consideration that majority of constituents in the electrolyte systems are weak, multivalent analytes, which have complex stoichiometric behavior intricately linked with the local transport phenomena. A generalized formulation to couple the association/dissociation stoichiometry of weak analyte with transport phenomena is presented along with a broad, fundamental treatment of macroscopic transport phenomena that will render common approximations like absence of bulk flow, a priori assumption of pH and conductivity, etc., redundant. Novel domain decomposition based Multi-Block Finite Volume scheme is developed and implemented. These formulations and strategy constitute the core of the microfluidics module of MEMS software Intellisuite^® being developed by Corning Intellisense.