Advances in capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry for metabolomics

Capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CE-MS) is now regarded as a powerful tool for the comprehensive analysis of low-molecular-weight charged metabolites. Over the past decades, several CE-MS methods have been established and made significant contributions to metabolomics research in various areas. This review describes the general strategies and principles of the CE-MS-based metabolomics analyses, including sample preparation, CE separation modes, interfacing techniques, and mass spectrometers. Furthermore, new techniques to increase throughput ability in CE-MS for metabolomics are highlighted. Finally, general conclusions and perspectives are provided. (c) 2022 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CE-MS) is a powerful tool for comprehensive analysis of low-molecular-weight charged metabolites. This review discusses the strategies and principles of CE-MS-based metabolomics analyses, including sample preparation, CE separation modes, interfacing techniques, and mass spectrometers. Additionally, it highlights new techniques to increase throughput ability in CE-MS for metabolomics.