Integration of nanomaterials in capillary and microchips electrophoresis as a flexible tool

Abstract

Good things come in small packages. The unique properties of nanomaterials and structures on the nanometer scale have sparked the attention of material developers. Nowadays, everybody is talking about nanotechnology and nanomaterials applied to different fields of investigation (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, Electronics and Materials Sciences). Also, a large amount of books, journals, and publications are devoted to this subject. Even in the area of industry, nanomaterials are having an important impact. Advancing nanoscience from the laboratory into a technology suitable for product applications has been the goal of many new companies. Introducing nanomaterials into products and in the commercial field is today the objective of major chemical and materials firms. Incremental shifts in product performance using nanomaterials (for example, as fillers in plastics, as coatings on surfaces, and as UV protective in cosmetics) are already occurring. Although technology holds more promise for the future, it is expected to bring more disruptive changes to both products and markets. This is due to the fact that nanotechnology could pervade almost any industry, including medicine, plastics, energy, electronics and even aerospace. In Figure 1 there is a description of the sciences that contribute to the synthesis and application of nanomaterials. The objective of this chapter is to introduce the implementation of the nanomaterials in capillary electrophoresis. We will describe, through the published studies, the advantages and disadvantages of the use of different nanoparticles (NPs) in this separation technique. Moreover, our intention is to bring in readers interested in nanotechnology in this field almost unexplored that just beginning. However, the papers cited in this chapter are only a minimum amount of current literature regarding this new field of research.