Micellar electrokinetic chromatography: a review of methodological and instrumental innovations focusing on practical aspects.

This review article addresses recent methodological and instrumental innovations in MEKC with emphasis on practical aspects. Like its predecessors, this review is intended to provide an updated overview covering work on the most salient methodological contributions to enhancing sensitivity and resolution in MEKC-based determinations published over the past two years. The most widespread approaches to enhancing sensitivity, which include improving "classical" online sample concentration techniques, combinations of on- and off-line sample concentration protocols and recent developments are discussed, and so are modifications of existing MEKC systems with various micellar phases, the use of BGE additives (organic modifiers, chiral selectors, gold nanoparticles) and coated capillaries, and the implementation of 2D separations and chemometric methods to enhance resolution. Instrumental approaches such as MS and LIF are also discussed, and proposals for overcoming the problems typically encountered in directly coupling MEKC with MS, and the recent inception of quantum dots with a great potential for LIF detection in MEKC, are also dealt with. Finally, foreseeable developments on potential future directions are also expressed.