Electrolytic four-channel device and method

A liquid chromatography system comprising:

• (a) an electrolytic device configured to suppress an eluent, the electrolytic device comprising:
• (i) a housing including first, second, third, and fourth side-by-side liquid flow-through channels, each having an inlet and an outlet;
• (ii) the first channel being separated from the second channel by a first charged barrier having exchangeable ions capable of passing ions of only one charge, positive or negative, and of blocking bulk liquid flow;
• (iii) the second channel being separated from the third channel by a second charged barrier having exchangeable ions capable of passing ions of the same charge, positive or negative, and of blocking bulk liquid flow;
• (iv) the third channel being separated from the fourth channel by a third charged barrier having exchangeable ions capable of passing ions of the same charge, positive or negative, and of blocking bulk liquid flow, wherein the first charged barrier, the second charged barrier, and the third charged barrier all have a same charge;
• (v) a first electrode disposed adjacent to and along the first channel in electrical communication therewith;
• and
• (vi) a second electrode disposed adjacent to and along the fourth channel in electrical communication therewith, the liquid chromatography system further comprising:
• (b) a chromatographic separator having an inlet and an outlet, the chromatographic separator outlet being upstream of and in fluid communication with the third channel inlet, the third channel outlet being upstream of and in fluid communication with the second channel inlet;
• and
• (c) a first detector, the second channel outlet being upstream of and in fluid communication with the detector.

A method for pretreating a liquid sample containing analyte ions of one charge, positive or negative, and counterions to the analyte ions and for suppressing an eluent containing the analyte ions, in an electrolytic device comprising:

• (a) a housing including first, second, third, and fourth side-by-side liquid flow-through channels, each having an inlet and an outlet;
• (b) the first channel being separated from the second channel by a first charged barrier having exchangeable ions capable of passing ions of only one charge, positive or negative, and of blocking bulk liquid flow;
• (c) the second channel being separated from the third channel by a second charged barrier having exchangeable ions capable of passing ions of the same charge, positive or negative, and of blocking bulk liquid flow;
• (d) the third channel being separated from the fourth channel by a third charged barrier having exchangeable ions capable of passing ions of the same charge, positive or negative, and of blocking bulk liquid flow, wherein the first charged barrier, the second charged barrier, and the third charged barrier all have a same charge;
• (e) a first electrode disposed adjacent to and along the first channel in electrical communication therewith;
• and
• (f) a second electrode disposed adjacent to and along the fourth channel in electrical communication therewith;
• the method comprising
• flowing the liquid sample into the third channel inlet through the third channel and out the third channel outlet;
• flowing the eluent into a chromatographic separator to separate the analyte ions;
• flowing the eluent containing the separated analyte ions into the second channel inlet through the second channel and out the second channel outlet;
• applying an electric current between the first and the second electrodes across the first, the second, the third, and the fourth channels to cause ions of opposite charge to the separated analytes to flow toward one of the two electrodes to remove at least some of the counterions in the liquid sample in the third channel and simultaneously suppressing the eluent flowing in the second channel.