Device to generate high purity hydroxide solution in-line for ion chromatography

• A new device generating an eluent for anion chromatography has been developed.
• The device has a very low dead volume.
• The device generates a liquid flow with desired hydroxide concentrations controlled by the electric field applied on the internal electrodes.

Herein, we report a new device that generates a high-purity hydroxide solution in line. The device’s container has three compartments that are isolated from each other by two cation exchange (CE) membranes. In each end of the container, an electrode is installed. The three compartments are filled with ion exchange resins. A bipolar boundary is a composite boundary comprising anion- and cation-exchangers. This device has two bipolar boundaries, which are used to separate the location of hydroxide solution generation from the location where water is electrolyzed. Therefore, it can produce high-purity hydroxide solutions that are free from gases and anionic impurities. The hydroxide solution is generated on the basis of an electrokinetic phenomenon at the surfaces of ion-exchange resins and membranes in an electric field; NaOH concentration can be controlled at rates from 0.01 to 100 mM per 1 mL/min by adjusting the electrical current (0–200 mA) applied to the device. As the generated solution is used as an eluent for a suppressed anion chromatography, the electrical conductivity of the effluent from the suppressor is as low as that of ultra-pure water. Thus, the noise of the base-line electrical conductivity is improved, and so the detection limit of anions on the sub-ng/mL order can be achieved.