Multi-channel capillaries and photonic crystal fibres for separation sciences

Capillaries of many dimensions are fabricated and modified, for use across a wide range of applications within analytical science. This extends from sample preparation and sample extraction, to separation sciences, and detection sciences. Photonic crystal fibres, emerged in the 1990's, and were specifically designed for optical applications, predominantly as waveguides. Since then, a range of modifications have been reported, with the fibres applied to a wide variety of analytical applications, in liquid and gas phase analyses or detection. This review aims to provide an overview of photonic crystal fibres and related multi-channel capillaries, the chemical modifications that have been carried out, and the subsequent applications of the developed materials towards analytical separations, including sample preparation.