Advances in Microscale Electro- and Liquid Phase-Based Separation Techniques, Elsevier, ss.151-189, 2026
Micelles’ hydrophilic outer surface and hydrophobic internal allow the approach to separate water-soluble and water-insoluble compounds. As a mobile phase, it moves compounds without electrophoretic mobility. Different surfactants (anionic, cationic, nonionic) may boost analytical selectivity, and micelle concentration, pH, and organic solvent content can optimize separation conditions. Micelles reduce analyte-matrix interactions, leading to more symmetric peaks and better quantitative analysis. In this chapter, we present micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) analyses of pharmaceutical active ingredients performed in the last 10 years. The micelle used in these analyses is tabulated, considering the working environment, optimum voltage, capillary properties, detector, and validation parameters. The studies of the same selected pharmaceutical active ingredients with both the micellar capillary electrophoresis method and the capillary zone electrophoresis method were compared, and the advantages and disadvantages of the MEKC method were presented.