Analysis of inorganic anions by electrostatic ion chromatography using zwitterionic/cationic mixed micelles as the stationary phase

The inability to separate fluoride, phosphate and sulfate by electrostatic ion chromatography (EIC) was overcome by using an ODS silica column coated with mixed zwitterionic-cationic surfactants as the stationary phase. The best results were obtained using the zwitterionic surfactant, 3-(N,N-dimethylmyristylammonium)-propanesulfonate (C19H41NO3S), and the cationic surfactant, myristyltrimethylammonium, CH3(CH2)13N+(CH3)3, in a 10:1 molar ratio in the column coating solution. With a dilute solution of sodium tetraborate as the eluent the model analyte anions were completely separated in the following elution order: F–, HPO42–, SO42–, Cl–, NO2–, Br–, NO3–. The very early elution of phosphate and sulfate is most unusual and is unique to this system. Detection limits better than 1.1 × 10–4 mM and linear calibration plots up to 7.0 mM were obtained with a suppressed conductivity system.