Field-flow fractionation: addressing the nano challenge.

Field-flow fractionation is coming of age as a family of analytical methods for separating and characterizing macromolecules, nanoparticles, and particulates. The capabilities and versatility of these techniques are discussed in light of the challenges that are being addressed in analyzing nanometer-sized sample components and the insights gained through their use in applications ranging from materials science to biology. (To listen to a podcast about this feature, please go to the Analytical Chemistry multimedia page at pubs.acs.org/page/ancham/audio/index.html .).