Coupling of capillary electroseparation techniques with mass spectrometric detection

Coupling of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) techniques with mass spectroscopic (MS) detection is presented. The coupling of electroseparation with MS detection involves the use of pseudo-stationary phases, therefore a variety of means to complete the combination are investigated, including the partial filling technique and the use of the MS-compatible semi-volatile pseudo-stationary phases. The new type of instrumentation focuses towards miniaturization, that can be applied to the whole analytical device or certain components of the instrumentation, such as miniaturing spraying devices for CE-MS interfaces. Microelectrospray or nanospray interfaces are proved as the better choice for the CE-MS, and are inherently designed for flow rates in nL min-1 range. MS detection offers the advantage of higher selectivity with focus on sensitivity, and the technique is proved as a promising technique in pharmaceutical analysis.