Interfacing commercially available capillary electrophoresis to sample preparation and/or detection systems to solve analytical problems

Abstract

This review presents the state-of-the-art of interfacing sample preparation and detector systems with commercially available capillary electrophoresis (CE) equipment. The analytical potential of combined sample preparation units into commercially available CE equipment under integrated or coupling approaches, allowing at-line, on-line, and in-line arrangements to automate sample preparation is discussed. Some examples of the analytical applications are reported when using different sample treatment procedures, such as cleanup and preconcentration, extraction/filtering, gas extraction/diffusion, extraction with membrane and hollow fiber, and dialysis and extraction with supported liquid membrane. CE interfaced detectors are also discussed by distinguishing between commercially available CE equipment and those not commercially available and focusing on the latter. Interfaced CE approaches clearly expand the field of application of the CE and connect to the real world in routine analytical laboratories, avoiding the drawbacks and limitations of electrophoretic separations.