Three-electrode buffer generator and method
AssigneesBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System, Dionex Corporation
InventorsPurnendu K. Dasgupta, Yongjing Chen, Kannan Srinivasan
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Abstract
An electrodialytic buffer generator is described. The buffer generator may include a central buffer-generating channel having an inlet and outlet, a second chamber, and a third chamber. The buffer-generating channel, the second chamber, and the third chamber may each include an electrode. The buffer generator may also include a first ion exchange barrier and a second ion exchange barrier. The first ion exchange barrier can be disposed between the second chamber and the buffer-generating channel. The second ion exchange barrier can be disposed between the third chamber and the buffer-generating channel.
Claims17
An electrodialytic method of generating a buffer using an electrodialytic buffer generator comprising a flow-through central buffer-generating channel comprising a first electrode, having an inlet and an outlet;
- a second chamber comprising a second electrode and a second aqueous liquid;
- a third chamber comprising a third electrode and a third aqueous liquid;
- a cation exchange barrier, capable of passing cations but not anions and of blocking bulk liquid flow, disposed between said second chamber and said buffer-generating channel;
- an anion exchange barrier, capable of passing anions but not cations and of blocking bulk liquid flow, disposed between said third chamber and said buffer-generating channel;
- said method comprising:
- (a) flowing a first aqueous liquid into said flow-through central buffer-generating channel, where at least one of said first, second, or third aqueous liquids comprises an aqueous electrolyte solution that includes anions or cations, or both;
- (b) passing a first current between said first and second electrodes;
- and
- (c) passing a second current between said first and third electrodes, whereby a buffer solution is generated in said buffer-generating channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.