Ion exchange based volatile component removal device for ion chromatography

Abstract

A method, device, and system for removing a volatile component from a liquid solution for a chromatographic separation are described. The method includes the flowing of a liquid solution through a first chamber of the device. A volatile component in the liquid solution is transported across a first ion exchange barrier from the first chamber to a second chamber. The first ion exchange barrier has a first charge. The second chamber includes an ion exchange packing having a second charge that is an opposite polarity to the first charge. The volatile component reacts with the ion exchange packing to create a charged component in the second chamber. The charged component having a third charge that is a same polarity to the first charge. The ion exchange packing is regenerated by electrolytically generating a hydronium or a hydroxide.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of removing a volatile component from a liquid solution for a chromatographic separation, the method comprising:
 flowing the liquid solution, that comprises the volatile component, through a first chamber;   transporting the volatile component across a first ion exchange barrier from the first chamber to a second chamber, where the first ion exchange barrier is at least partially disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, in which the first ion exchange barrier has a first charge, allows the flow of ions having a charge opposite to the first charge, and does not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, and the second chamber including an ion exchange packing having a second charge that is an opposite polarity to the first charge;   reacting the volatile component with the ion exchange packing to create a charged component in the second chamber, the charged component having a third charge that is a same polarity to the first charge, regenerating the ion exchange packing by electrolytically generating a hydronium or a hydroxide, in which the hydronium or the hydroxide is in electrical communication with the ion exchange packing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the ion exchange packing is in physical contact with the first ion exchange barrier. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the electrolytically generated hydronium is formed at an anode and the electrolytically generated hydroxide is formed at a cathode. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , in which the volatile component comprises a weakly ionized species selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, and combinations thereof, in which the liquid solution comprises an analyte, where the analyte comprises an anion and the first charge of the first ion exchange barrier is negative. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , in which the ion exchange packing is in a hydroxide form where the carbonic acid reacts with the hydroxide form to create a negatively charged ion bound to the ion exchange packing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising: transporting the electrolytically generated hydroxide through the second chamber to regenerate the ion exchange packing and to remove the negatively charged ion out of the second chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the negatively charged ion comprises an ionic species selected from the group consisting of carbonate, bicarbonate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising: before the flowing of the liquid solution through the first chamber, suppressing the liquid solution with a suppressor that exchanges positively charged ions where the liquid solution contains an analyte, the analyte having a same charge as the first ion exchange barrier. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , in which the suppressing of the liquid solution comprises adding hydronium to the liquid solution. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 flowing the liquid solution from the first chamber to a detector; 
 measuring a signal proportional to an analyte concentration; 
 flowing the liquid solution from the detector to the second chamber; 
 flowing the liquid solution through the ion exchange packing and out of the second chamber to a cathode chamber, and then to an anode chamber. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the cathode chamber comprises the cathode, and a second ion exchange barrier is at least partially disposed between the cathode chamber and the second chamber, the second ion exchange barrier having a positive charge, allows the flow of negatively charged ions from the cathode chamber to the second chamber, and does not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, the method further comprising:
 transporting the hydroxide through the second ion exchange barrier to the second chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , in which the anode chamber comprises the anode, and a third ion exchange barrier is at least partially disposed between the anode chamber and the second chamber, the third ion exchange barrier having a positive charge, allows the flow of negatively charged ions from the second chamber to the anode chamber, and does not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, the method further comprising:
 transporting the hydroxide from the second chamber to the anode chamber.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the volatile component comprises ammonia where the first charge of the first ion exchange barrier is positive. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the first ion exchange barrier comprises an ion exchange capillary tube. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the first ion exchange barrier comprises an approximately planar membrane. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the liquid solution further comprises an analyte and an eluent, the method further comprising: converting the analyte to a salt form in the first chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the eluent comprises a sodium hydroxide. 
     
     
         18 . A device to remove volatile components from a liquid solution for a chromatographic separation, the device comprising:
 I) a first chamber including an inlet configured to receive the liquid solution that comprises the volatile component, and an outlet configured to output the liquid solution with a substantial portion of the volatile component removed;   II) a second chamber including an ion exchange packing, the second chamber is in electrical communication with a first cathode and a first anode, where the first cathode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydroxide, and the first anode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydronium;   III) a first ion exchange barrier that is at least partially disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, the first ion exchange barrier having a first charge, allows the flow of the volatile component and ions having a charge opposite to the first charge, and does not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, the ion exchange packing having a second charge that is an opposite polarity to the first charge; and   
       in which the ion exchange packing is configured to react with the volatile component to create a charged component having a same polarity as the first charge of the first ion exchange barrier, and the ion exchange packing is also configured to bind the charged component. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the ion exchange packing is in physical contact with the first ion exchange barrier. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the volatile component is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, and combinations thereof, in which the liquid solution comprises an analyte, where the analyte includes an anion and the first charge of the first ion exchange barrier is negative. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , in which the ion exchange packing is in the hydroxide form. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 20 , in which the negatively charged ion comprises an ionic species selected from the group consisting of carbonate, bicarbonate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 20  further comprising:
 IV) a cathode chamber including the first cathode, in which a second ion exchange barrier is at least partially disposed between the cathode chamber and the second chamber, the second ion exchange barrier having a third charge that is an opposite polarity to the first charge, the second ion exchange barrier configured to not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, and to allow the flow of ions having a charge opposite to the third charge, from the cathode chamber to the second chamber; 
 V) an anode chamber including the first anode, in which a third ion exchange barrier is at least partially disposed between the anode chamber and the second chamber, the third ion exchange barrier having a fourth charge that is an opposite polarity to the first charge, the third ion exchange barrier configured to not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, and to allow the flow of ions having a charge opposite to the fourth charge, from the second chamber to the anode chamber. 
 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , in which the outlet of the first chamber is fluidically connected to an inlet of a detector, an outlet of the detector is fluidically connected to an inlet of the second chamber, an outlet of the second chamber is fluidically connected to an inlet of the cathode chamber, an outlet of the cathode chamber is fluidically connected to an inlet of the anode chamber, an outlet of the anode chamber is fluidically connected to a waste chamber. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 23 , in which the cathode chamber and the anode chamber are disposed on opposing ends of the second chamber. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the volatile component comprises ammonia where the first charge of the first ion exchange barrier is positive. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the first ion exchange barrier comprises an ion exchange capillary tube. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the first ion exchange barrier comprises a first approximately planar membrane, in which the first anode and the first cathode are at least partially disposed in the second chamber, the first anode and the first cathode each having a planar surface, where a plane of the first planar membrane is approximately perpendicular to planar surfaces of the first cathode and the first anode. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28  further comprising:
 IV) a third chamber including the ion exchange packing, where a second cathode and a second anode are at least partially disposed in the third chamber, the second cathode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydroxide, and the second anode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydronium; 
 V) a fourth ion exchange barrier that is at least partially disposed between the first chamber and the third chamber, the fourth ion exchange barrier having a same charge as the first ion exchange barrier, allows the flow of the volatile component and ions having a charge opposite to the first charge, and does not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, the ion exchange packing having the second charge, in which the fourth ion exchange barrier comprises a second approximately planar membrane, the second anode and the second cathode each having a planar surface, where a plane of the second approximately planar membrane is approximately perpendicular to planar surfaces of the second cathode and the second anode. 
 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the first ion exchange barrier comprises a first approximately planar membrane, in which the first anode and the first cathode are at least partially disposed in the second chamber, the first anode and the first cathode each having a planar surface, where a plane of the first planar membrane is approximately parallel to planar surfaces of the first cathode and the first anode. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 28  further comprising:
 IV) a third chamber including the ion exchange packing, where a second cathode and a second anode are at least partially disposed in the third chamber, the second cathode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydroxide, and the second anode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydronium; 
 V) a fourth ion exchange barrier that is at least partially disposed between the first chamber and the third chamber, the fourth ion exchange barrier having a same charge as the first ion exchange barrier, allows the flow of the volatile component and ions having a charge opposite to the first charge, and does not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, the ion exchange packing having the second charge, in which the fourth ion exchange barrier comprises a second approximately planar membrane, the second anode and the second cathode each having a planar surface, where a plane of the second approximately planar membrane is approximately parallel to planar surfaces of the second cathode and the second anode. 
 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the ion exchange packing comprises a material selected from the group consisting of an ion exchange packing, an ion exchange screen, an ion exchange monolith, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 23 , in which the second and third ion exchange barriers each comprise a membrane 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 18 , in which the first ion exchange barrier comprises an approximately planar membrane. 
     
     
         35 . A system to analyze a sample containing a volatile component comprising:
 a volatile component removing device, the device comprising:
 I) a first chamber including an inlet configured to receive the liquid solution that comprises the volatile component, and an outlet configured to output the liquid solution with a substantial portion of the volatile component removed; 
 II) a second chamber including an ion exchange packing, the second chamber is in electrical communication with a cathode and an anode, where the cathode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydroxide, and the anode is configured to electrolytically generate a hydronium; and 
 III) a first ion exchange barrier that is at least partially disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, the first ion exchange barrier having a first charge, allows the flow of the volatile component and ions having a charge opposite to the first charge, and does not allow bulk flow of the liquid solution, the ion exchange packing having a second charge that is an opposite polarity to the first charge and in which the volatile component comprises a weakly ionized species, and the ion exchange packing is configured to react with the volatile component to create a charged component having a same polarity as the first charge of the first ion exchange barrier and the ion exchange packing is also configured to bind the charged component; and 
   at least one chromatography component selected from the group consisting of
 a suppressor configured to remove eluent counterions where the eluent counterions have a charge opposite to an analyte ion where the suppressor is disposed upstream of the volatile component removing device, 
 a pump disposed upstream of the volatile component removing device, 
 a chromatography column fluidically connected to the volatile component removing device, 
 a detector disposed downstream of the volatile component removing device, and 
 combinations thereof.