openC4D

A Capacitively Coupled Contactless Conductivity Detector (C4D) for Capillary Electrophoresis.

To the best of our knowledge, this is still the smallest Capacitively Coupled Contactless Conductivity Detector (C4D) … and it’s open!

Our first C4D was introduced in 1998 [1], and after trials and errors, we published an improved version in 2009 [2]. Here, the continuously improved version is available.

What is here?

• The plans to build the printed circuit boards for the detector itself. It must be powered, and the signal is available as a digital output in a serial format.

• The microcontroller board. Although the detector module can be used in a dedicated instrument, this board allows one to control up to four C4Ds through a USB port.

• The firmware. An Arduino firmware to be used in the microcontroller board.

• The frontend. A Java frontend to be used to get electropherograms.

We have some papers if you wish to learn more about our CE-C4D [1-8].

1. da Silva, J.A.F. and C.L. do Lago, An oscillometric detector for capillary electrophoresis. Analytical Chemistry, 1998. 70(20): p. 4339-4343.
2. Francisco, K.J.M. and C.L. do Lago, A compact and high-resolution version of a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector. Electrophoresis, 2009. 30(19): p. 3458-3464.
3. Brito-Neto, J.G.A., et al., Understanding capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection in capillary and microchip electrophoresis. Part 1. Fundamentals. Electroanalysis, 2005. 17(13): p. 1198-1206.
4. Brito-Neto, J.G.A., et al., Understanding capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection in capillary and microchip electrophoresis. Part 2. Peak shape, stray capacitance, noise, and actual electronics. Electroanalysis, 2005. 17(13): p. 1207-1214.
5. Francisco, K.J.M. and C.L. do Lago, A capillary electrophoresis system with dual capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Electrophoresis, 2016. 37(12): p. 1718-1724.
6. Francisco, K.J.M. and C.L. do Lago, Improving thermal control of capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry and capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection by using 3D printed cartridges. Talanta, 2018. 185: p. 37-41.
7. Saito, R.M., et al., Ionic mobility of the solvated proton and acid-base titration in a four-compartment capillary electrophoresis system. Analytical Methods, 2010. 2(2): p. 164-170.
8. da Silva, J.A.F., N. Guzman, and C.L. do Lago, Contactless conductivity detection for capillary electrophoresis - Hardware improvements and optimization of the input-signal amplitude and frequency. Journal of Chromatography A, 2002. 942(1-2): p. 249-258.