Capillary electrophoresis in forensic toxicology

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a relatively young technology that can be applied to problems of interest in forensic sciences in general and toxicology in particular. Rapid analysis, high efficiencies, small sample and reagent requirements, and economical costs are advantages that CE brings to forensic scientists. On the other hand, lack of sensitivity and maturity mean that CE is not yet well established in forensic labs as an additional tool, in spite of a very broad panel of applications, from ions and small molecules to macromolecules. This paper describes basic operational theory of CE, some instrumental considerations, and applications related to forensic toxicology.