Advancement of microchip electrophoresis coupled with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection-from design to application (2018-2024).

Over the past three decades, microchip electrophoresis coupled with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (ME-C⁴D) has garnered considerable interest due to its various merits, including minimal sample consumption, compact structure, immediate detection, and high analytical precision. Continuous technological innovation and improvement have significantly advanced ME-C⁴D in structural design, fabrication processes, and experimental methodologies. As a result, the application of this technology has expanded into a wider range of electrochemical analysis fields, including disease diagnosis, food safety assessment, environmental pollutant detection, and soil nutrient analysis. This review meticulously examines the forefront of ME-C⁴D over the last five years. It methodically categorizes and scrutinizes advancements from various dimensions, including newly emerged ME microchips, C⁴D electrodes, experimental protocols, and pioneering applications. Moreover, this paper critically summarizes these developments, identifying the prevailing limitations and challenges within ME-C⁴D. Ultimately, it projects potential future trajectories for innovation in the field of ME-C⁴D, suggesting pathways to overcome existing hurdles and hinting at the untapped possibilities that lie ahead.