What is capillary electrophoresis?

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a method for sorting charged particles by their movement in an electric field through the use of an applied voltage. When an electric field is applied, ions migrate accordingly, with speed increasing alongside the strength of the field. Neutral molecules remain unaffected, as only ions respond to the electric force. When two ions are equal in size, the one with a higher charge will move more quickly. In contrast, ions with the same charge but differing sizes will exhibit varying migration rates due to the smaller ion experiencing less resistance. Thus, smaller ions travel faster. In CE, the capillary tube acts as the separation column, typically made of fused silica.