Process for electrokinetic migration through liquid membranes

Process for elektrokinetic migration of an organic compound in a 3-phase system, comprising the steps of

• providing a first hydrophilic donor solution comprising at least one organic compound to be transferred from said donor solution to an acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of said donor solution to a level where said organic compound is either positively or negatively ionized;
• providing a second hydrophilic acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of said acceptor solution to a level wherein said compound, to be transferred from the donor solution to the acceptor solution, is ionized;
• providing a liquid membrane comprising an immobilized organic solvent, which is substantially immiscible with water, through which a current and said at least one ionized organic compound can traverse;
• and placing said membrane in fluid contact with said donor solution and said acceptor solution, so that it separates said donor solution and said acceptor solution;
• providing a first electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the donor solution and a second electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the acceptor solution;
• applying a voltage over said electrodes to promote the migration of said organic compound from the donor solution through the liquid membrane to the acceptor solution.

Process for concentration and/or enrichment of at least one organic compound, comprising the steps of providing a first hydrophilic donor solution comprising at least one organic compound to be transferred from said donor solution to an acceptor solution;

• optionally adjusting the pH of said donor solution to a level where said organic compound is either positively or negatively ionized;
• providing a second hydrophilic acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of said acceptor solution to a level wherein said compound, to be transferred from the donor solution to the acceptor solution, is ionized;
• providing a liquid membrane comprising an immobilized organic solvent, which is substantially immiscible with water, through which a current and said at least one ionized organic compound can traverse;
• and placing said membrane in fluid contact with said donor solution and said acceptor solution, so that it separates said donor solution and said acceptor solution;
• providing a first electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the donor solution and a second electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the acceptor solution;
• applying a voltage over said electrodes to promote the migration of said organic compound from the donor solution through the liquid membrane to the acceptor solution.

Process for preparing a sample for analysis, comprising the steps of

• providing a first hydrophilic donor solution comprising at least one organic compound to be transferred from said donor solution to an acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of said donor solution to a level where said organic compound is either positively or negatively ionized;
• providing a second hydrophilic acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of said acceptor solution to a level wherein said compound, to be transferred from the donor solution to the acceptor solution, is ionized;
• providing a liquid membrane comprising an immobilized organic solvent, which is substantially immiscible with water, through which a current and said at least one ionized organic compound can traverse;
• and placing said membrane in fluid contact with said donor solution and said acceptor solution, so that it separates said donor solution and said acceptor solution;
• providing a first electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the donor solution and a second electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the acceptor solution;
• applying a voltage over said electrodes to promote the migration of said organic compound from the donor solution through the liquid membrane to the acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of the acceptor solution to transfer said organic compound from an ionised to a non-ionized state and/or transferring the organic compound into an organic solvent,
• and detecting said organic compound by a suitable detector system and/or checking for biological activity in a biological test system.

Process for purification of a sample, comprising the steps of

• providing a first hydrophilic donor solution comprising at least one organic compound to be transferred from said donor solution to an acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of said donor solution to a level where said organic compound is either positively or negatively ionized;
• providing a second hydrophilic acceptor solution;
• optionally adjusting the pH of said acceptor solution to a level wherein said compound, to be transferred from the donor solution to the acceptor solution, is ionized;
• providing a liquid membrane comprising an immobilized organic solvent, which is substantially immiscible with water, through which a current and said at least one ionized organic compound can traverse;
• and placing said membrane in fluid contact with said donor solution and said acceptor solution, so that it separates said donor solution and said acceptor solution;
• providing a first electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the donor solution and a second electrode to be placed in fluid contact with the acceptor solution;
• applying a voltage over said electrodes to promote the migration of said organic compound from the donor solution through the liquid membrane to the acceptor solution;
• optionally isolating said at least one organic compound through removal or replacement of the solvent.