Application of a horizontal DS chamber to planar electrochromatography

A commercially available horizontal DS chamber has been applied to the planar electrochromatographic (PEC) separation of a dye mixture and of the enantiomers of dl-phenylalanine on non-polar stationary phases with ethanol-buffer or acetonitrile-buffer as mobile phases. The mobile phase was driven electroosmotically by applying a 50-250 V cm(-1) field along a 10-cm RP18 TLC plate. Use of a counter-plate to the chromatographic plate enables elimination of problems associated with excessive delivery of mobile phase to the chromatographic adsorbent layer. Compared with conventional TLC separations the efficiency of electrochromatography was higher and the development time shorter.