Microchip capillary electrophoresis/electrochemistry

Microfabricated fluidic devices have generated considerable interest over the past ten years due to the fact that sample preparation, injection, separation, derivatization, and detection can be integrated into one miniaturized device. This review reports progress in the development of microfabricated analytical systems based on microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical (EC) detection. Electrochemical detection has several advantages for use with microchip electrophoresis systems, for example, ease of miniaturization, sensitivity, and selectivity. In this review, the basic components necessary for microchip CEEC are described, including several examples of different detector configurations. Lastly, details of the application of this technique to the determination of catechols and phenols, amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, nitroaromatics, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, organophosphates, and hydrazines are described.