Current status of modern analytical luminescence methods

Modern analytical luminescence methods and their recent applications are reviewed with emphasis on the most sensitive methods that can be expected to be useful in future microanalytical systems such as mu-TAS, lab-on-chip, point-of-care (POC) and high throughput screening (HTS) applications. Photoluminescence (PL) is presently the most important group of analytical techniques utilising luminescence. Because of the rapidly increasing popularity of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and its applications, we have given particular attention to ECL mechanisms and techniques. Due to the present and future importance of capillary electrophoresis (CE) as a separation method, the CE detection methods based on luminescence are also considered in a relatively detailed way. For those researchers, designing novel experiments and assays, experimental set-ups, and apparatus we include web links to the manufacturers of some fairly rare reagents, as well as modem instrument components. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.