Three-in-One Detector by 3D Printing: Simultaneous Contactless Conductivity, Ultraviolet Absorbance, and Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements for Capillary Electrophoresis

We describe a 3-in-1 detector for simultaneous contactless conductivity (C4D), ultraviolet absorbance (UV-AD), and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements on a single detection point for capillary electrophoresis (CE). A key component of the detector was a rectangular detector head that was assembled with four 3D-printed parts. Two parts covering the detector head to function as a Faraday cage were fused deposition modeling printed using an electrically conductive material. The other two parts in between the conductive parts were stereolithography (SLA) printed with high-resolution (50 μm) constructions on the surface. After assembling the two SLA printed parts, several cavities were built with the surface constructions. Two electrodes and a Faraday shield for C4D were cast by injecting molten Wood’s metal into the cavities. For UV-AD, a slit (100 μm width) was created by putting together two grooves (50 μm depth) on the surface of the SLA printed parts. A 255 nm UV-LED was used as the light source. The effective path length and stray light for a 50 μm id capillary were 39 μm and 13%, which were superior to those of other reported 3D-printed AD detectors. Confocal LIF detection was conducted by using an objective lens to focus the laser on the capillary via a through-hole. The detector was used to detect model analytes, including inorganic and organic ions, and fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled amino acids in a signal-run CE separation. In detecting fluorescein, LODs were 1.3 μM (C4D), 2.0 μM (UV-AD), and 1 nM (LIF). The calibration ranges covered from 0.01 μM to 500 μM.