COUPLING CONTINUOUS SAMPLE TREATMENT SYSTEMS TO CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

The state of the art and prospects for the combined use of continuous sample treatment systems and custom-made and commercially available ca pillary electrophoresis equipment is presented and discussed. Sample t reatment in this separation technique is of great practical relevance by virtue of its inherent shortcomings, which include low sensitivity, small sample volumes, and a marked influence of matrix components. Th e main technical types of coupling (in-line, on-fine, and mixed) are d ealt with systematically and compared to manually implemented approach es in order to derive practical conclusions with a view to developing new technical applications and facilitate use by routine laboratories.