Recent progress in analytical capillary isotachophoresis.

This review brings a survey of the literature on analytical isotachophoresis (ITP) from the years 2010-2012. It confirms the fact that ITP alone is not used for analyses frequently but that its online combinations with other methods are of paramount importance. This review shows that the inherent features of the technique and first of all its concentrating ability are still unique for reaching high sensitivity and efficient sample cleanup in analytical applications. The part devoted to theory is mostly represented by computer simulations and confirms the power and significance of this approach. The section oriented at instrumentation and techniques shows the advantages of ITP in column combinations and microchip techniques. The chapter reviewing the applications is categorized according to the techniques applied, viz., column switching, on line ITP-CZE and on-chip analyses. The final part of the review is devoted to the nearly omnipresent electrophoresis principle of transient isotachophoresis, and to the advantages that it may offer for detection and sampling. In all parts, the significance of the operational conditions is also considered and where possible, the electrolyte system is explicitly presented.