News Bringing CZE and MS together Capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry are well matched in terms of flow rates and sample loads; but the question remains, how are they best interfaced? Most interfaces establish electrical contact with a sheath liquid. In contrast, U. R. Tjaden and co-workers at Leiden University (The Netherlands) designed a sheathless and electrodeless microelectrospray interface to couple CZE and MS onllne. Unlike most CZE/MS interfaces, in which the CZE system and the electrospray source are in different electrical circuits, this system integrated the two sections into a single circuit. The CZE capillary was tapered to serve as the microspray tip, and, rather than use an outlet electrode, electrical contact was made through the air to the mass spectrometer, which was held at ground potential. The capillary tip was placed
