Protein attachment onto silica surfaces - a survey of molecular fundamentals, resulting effects and novel preventive strategies in CE

This review addresses the fundamentals governing the adsorption of individual protein molecules onto the surface of fused-silica capillaries, the protein aggregation to adsorbate dusters and their final accretion to monolayers with subsequent stratification to protein multilayers. The attention in CE protein separation has primarily been focused on (i) tuning the BGE including the buffer type, ionic strength, pH and additives, (ii) tailored post-rinse procedures to detach adhered protein residues and (iii) the optimization of capillary wall shielding in order to reduce protein attachment Improvements in protein separation as well as related adverse effects are mainly discussed on the basis of parameters known to become deteriorated in case of protein adhesion, e.g. repeatability of the EOF and of migration times, peak width, theoretical plate numbers, resolution and asymmetry factor. However, knowledge of the molecular principles controlling protein adsorption onto silica surfaces is indispensable for separation optimization. Furthermore, it facilitates troubleshooting and the interpretation of undesired concomitant phenomena. This review comprehensively discusses protein adsorption models derived from surface chemistry primarily in terms of their relevance for CE, dearly showing that the adsorption process in its complexity is only partially revealed by models, which address single or binary protein solutions. In a further section theoretical concepts and surface models are related to surface phenomena encountered in CE. The final part of the review surveys recent concepts for prevention of protein adhesion, thereby addressing capillary treatment, favorable buffer types, dynamic and adhesive semi-permanent coating strategies covering the literature from 2000-2008.