The role of liposomes in analytical processes

We present a general survey of the preparation, the behaviour and the characterization of liposomes, and their versatility as analytical tools. Advances on the design of artificial liposomes have allowed manipulation of their features (size, lamellarity, resistance, fusion capability and encapsulation efficiency), which have given rise to a wide range of procedures to encapsulate or internalise a variety of reagents. These approaches have been used to study solute-membrane interactions and to improve sensitivity and/or selectivity in different analytical methods. We discuss the advantages and the limitations of the most recent applications of liposomes in chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, immunoassays, sensors and microfluidic systems. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.