Capillary electrochromatography

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) has seen a resurgence of interest during the 1990s, despite having origins in the 1970s. The technique combines the desirable features of both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE): the separation process is based on differential interactions between the stationary and mobile phases, whilst the electroosmotic flow transports the mobile phase through the capillary. Thus, it has demonstrated advantages over both HPLC and CE, which are yet to be fully exploited over a wide field of application; already the popularity of CEC is on the increase, as reflected in the number of scientific publications and seminars held. The aim of this tutorial review is to increase awareness and understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of CEC, Whilst it does not provide an in-depth account of CEC, it does attempt to cover the more important, relevant work available in the open literature: only major advancements associated with CEC applications are highlighted. Material presented in the review was typically obtained by literature searches involving Analytical Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts and 'BIDS' (for academic use only).