Effects of capillary coating and beta-cyclodextrin additive to the background electrolyte on separation of sulphonated azodyes by capillary zone electrophoresis.

Fourteen azodyes containing one to five acidic groups were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The effects of the pH and beta-cyclodextrin additive to the background electrolyte on the separation of sulphonated azodyes were investigated. The effects of the working conditions significantly differ in non-coated fused silica capillaries and in capillaries coated with polyacrylamide. Splitting of the zones of metal-complex dyes was observed in polyacrylamide coated capillaries and the background electrolyte with 10 mmol/L beta-cyclodextrin, due to the separation of stereoisomeric forms of the dyes, which were separated for the first time using CE. Relations between the structure of the sulphonated azodyes and the electrophoretic mobilities are discussed. Naphthalene mono- to tetrasulphonic acids were used as the standards for the calibration of migration scale of the analysed dyes.