Evaluation of the addition of various surfactant-suspended carbon nanotubes in MEEKC with an in situ-synthesized surfactant system

Dispersions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in various surfactant solutions have been systematically evaluated as additives in MEEKC. The compounds examined were catechins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Compared with zwitterionic and neutral surfactants, the addition of anionic dispersion seemed to be better at separating the three types of analytes in microemulsion system. In order to achieve low operating currents, an in situ-synthesized surfactant system based on the combination of a long-chain alkyl acid with an organic base was used in MEEKC. The optimized buffer contained 0.5% (57 mM) ethyl acetate, 0.6% (30 mM) lauric acid, 4.0% (666 mM) propanol, 50mM Tris solution, and 4.5 mg/L the dispersion of SWNTs. Under optimized conditions, the established method was applicable to quantify complex compounds in tea samples.