Do you need help identifying the best cuvette or flow cell for your application?
The DynaProTM ZetaStarTM instrument is compatible with a wide range of cuvettes. Choosing a suitable cuvette is straightforward by answering these three simple questions below.
1. Do you plan to incorporate the ZetaStar instrument with an autosampler?
If you do, then the best cuvette option is the PEEK flow cell. The ZetaStar flow cell enables automated sample handling with and Arc™ HPLC autosampler.
You can set up dozens of samples and then automate the size, SLS intensity, and zeta potential measurement. Just come back when it's done!
2. Do you plan to perform ELS and measure zeta potential?
Identifying ELS-compatible cuvettes is simple. These cuvettes would have metal electrodes on the side.
If your samples are in a solution with conductivity higher than 7mS/cm, the PEEK flow cell with an Atlas pressurization attachment will be the appropriate choice.
There are a couple of choices if your samples are in a low salt buffer (conductivity less than 7mS/cm). The reusable low-volume dip cell is always a great option, but the disposable plastic flow cell is available if cross-contamination is a concern.
3) What if I only need to run DLS and SLS?
The ELS-compatible cuvettes will still work for your application, but the ZetaStar instrument also has additional cuvette options. The difference is primarily materials: quartz/glass or plastic. Both will give you excellent results! It's just a matter of what experiment you plan to do.
Quartz/glass cuvettes have a better temperature tolerance and are chemically resistant. If you plan to run an experiment at a very high temperature or use a non-polar organic solvent, quartz/glass cuvettes would be the best choice. Our low-volume reusable quarts cuvettes come in either 2 µL or 45 µL sample volumes.
For samples suspended in water/aqueous buffer or temperatures below 80oC, the ZetaStar is compatible with a variety of generic disposable cuvettes of various sizes. These have the benefit of being disposable to minimize cross-contamination.
If samples are limited, the 4uL disposable cuvette is a great option to consider.
All these cuvettes work with the ZetaStar, an instrument that was designed for analytical scientists who require size, polydispersity and zetapotential of their samples under native buffer conditions – including high salt. To investigate if a combination DLS/ELS/SLS instrument fits into your workflow we invite you to contact us for advice for your specific application.
