Electrophoresis process using ionic liquids

Abstract

Highly hydrophobic compounds and hydrophobic proteins are solubilized in a non-aqueous solvent containing an electrolyte for electrophoretic separation. The non-aqueous solvent is an ionic liquid or a mixture of an organic solvent containing an ionic liquid in an amount to render the solvent electrically conductive and amenable for electrophoretic separation. The hydrophobic proteins are separated by electrophoresis using an electrophoresis gel that is compatible with the organic solvent and ionic liquid.

1 . An electrophoresis separation process for separating a sample into its components, said process comprising the steps of: 
 providing an electrophoresis substrate having a first end and a second end, a sample in contact with said substrate, a first electrically conductive organic liquid at said first end, and a second electrically conductive organic liquid at said second end, and    applying an electric potential between said first end and said second end of said substrate to cause said components in said sample to migrate through said substrate from said first end toward said second end and electrophoretically separating components of said sample.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said electrophoresis substrate is an electrophoresis gel.  
   
   
       4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said electrophoresis substrate is a polyurethane or polyurea-urethane based gel and said first organic liquid is compatible with said polyurethane or polyurea-urethane.  
   
   
       6 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second organic liquids include at least one organic solvent selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, nitrites, alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, aromatic compounds, heterocyclic compounds, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       17 - 45 . (canceled)  
   
   
       46 . A process for electrophoretic separation of proteins said process comprising the steps of: 
 providing an electrophoresis substrate for the electrophoretic separation of molecules, said electrophoresis substrate having a first end and a second end and a protein sample at said first end and a non-aqueous electrically conducting liquid in contact with said first and second ends of said electrophoresis substrate; and    applying an electric current between said first end and second end of said electrophoresis substrate to cause said proteins in said sample to migrate through said substrate and to electrophoretically separate proteins from said sample;    wherein said first and second organic liquids include at least one ionic liquid having formula A + Z − , where A +  is an organic cation and Z −  is the anion of an anionic detergent.    
   
   
       47 - 56 . (canceled)  
   
   
       57 . An ionic liquid having the formula A + Z −   wherein A +  is an organic cation, and Z −  is an anion having anionic surfactant properties, where said ionic liquid is liquid at room temperature;    wherein Z −  has the formula YR 7 , where Y is a negatively charged moiety, and R 7  is a moiety having at least 6 carbon atoms.    
   
   
       58 . A separation process for separating hydrophobic constituents comprising the steps of: 
 forming a mixture of a sample and a solvent medium, said sample containing said hydrophobic constituents and said solvent medium containing an organic solvent and an ionic liquid in an amount sufficient to render said solvent medium electrically conductive; and    passing said mixture through a separation medium and separating said hydrophobic constituents in said separation medium.    
   
   
       59 . (canceled)  
   
   
       60 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said separation medium is a capillary electrophoresis device and said process comprises applying an electric potential to said device to separate said hydrophobic constituents.  
   
   
       61 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said separation medium is an electrophoresis gel and said process comprises applying an electric potential to said device to separate said hydrophobic constituents.  
   
   
       62 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said solvent medium comprises at least about 0.05% by volume of said ionic liquid.  
   
   
       63 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said solvent medium comprises about 0.1% to about 2.0% by volume of said ionic liquid.  
   
   
       64 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, nitrites, linear alkanes, branched alkanes, cycloalkanes, fused aromatic compounds, bridged aromatic compounds, heterocyclic compounds and derivatives thereof.  
   
   
       65 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of methylene chloride, ethanol, methylsulfoxide, methylethylketone, acetone, polyethylene glycol, acetonitrile, benzene, octane, methanol 2-propanol, 1,2-dichloroethane, N,N-dimethylacetamide, dimethyl formamide, toluene, xylene, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-ethyl naphthaline, trichloromethane, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       66 . The process  claim 65 , wherein said ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-butylpyridinium nitrate, 1 -ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide, 1,2-dimethyl-4-fluoropyrazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-ethyl-2-methylpyrazolium tetrafluoroborate and N-butylpyridininium hexafluoroborate.  
   
   
       67 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said ionic liquid has the formula A + Z − , wherein A +  is an organic cation, and Z −  is an anionic detergent anion.  
   
   
       68 . The process of  claim 67 , wherein A +  is selected from the group consisting of pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, imidazolium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, oxazolium, triazolium, and derivatives thereof.  
   
   
       69 . The process of  claim 67 , where Z −  has the formula YR 7  wherein Y is an anionic group selected from the group consisting of SO 4   − , —PO 4   − , —CO 2   − , and R 7  is an alkyl or alkenyl group having about 6 to about 20 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       70 . The process of  claim 67 , wherein said ionic liquid is selected from the group consisting of 1-ethyl-3-methyl-1H-imidazolium dodecylsulfate and N-ethylpyridinium dodecylsulfate.  
   
   
       71 . The process of  claim 58 , wherein said hydrophobic constituents include macromolecules.  
   
   
       72 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said first or said second electrically conductive organic liquid includes an ionic liquid.  
   
   
       73 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said first or said second electrically conductive organic liquid does not contain water.  
   
   
       74 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said components includes macromolecules.