Peroxynitrite (ONOO~(-)) is a highly reactive species implicated in the pathology of several cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. It is generated in vivo by the diffusion-limited reaction of nitric oxide (NO~(centre dot)) and superoxide anion (~(centre dot)O_(2)~(-)) and is known to be produced during periods of inflammation. Detection of ONOO~(-) is made difficult by its short half-life under physiological conditions (approx1 s). Here we report a method for the separation and detection of ONOO~(-) from other electroactive species utilizing a microchip electrophoresis device incorporating an amperometric detection scheme. Microchip electrophoresis permits shorter separation times (approx25 s for ONOO~(-)) and higher temporal resolution than conventional capillary electrophoresis (several minutes). This faster analysis allows ONOO~(-) to be detected before substantial degradation occurs, and the increased temporal resolution permits more accurate tracking of dynamic changes in chemical systems.
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