We will investigate the performance of an optimized Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) detector for applicability as a detector for Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE). We postulate that the inherent separatory capability of IMS combined with the ability to detect and resolve very high molecular weights indicates a very high probability for further developed IMS techniques to yield the most successful CZE detector. The CZE detector will be suitable for detecting low concentrations of biogenic molecules in aqueous or organic solutions at flow rates from 5 to 50 microliter per minute. Since IMS is a gas phase separation and detection method and CZE is a liquid phase method, we will first concentrate on optimizing an electrospray coupling between the CZE column and the IMS detector and then test performance with key biogenic compounds.
