Electrochemistry combined on-line with atomic mass spectrometry and related techniques for trace-metal analysis and electrode-reaction studies

This review summarizes recent advances based on EC coupled with atomic MS and related techniques for trace-metal analysis and studies of electrode processes. Particular emphasis is placed on EC combined with ICP-MS (EC-ICP-MS) and electrospray-MS (EC-ES-MS). I describe criteria for selecting the suitable EC flow-cell designs and the MS sample-introduction systems or interfaces. The versatility of this hyphenated technique is well reflected in the different systems studied and the possibility of electrolytic and non-electrolytic accumulation of trace analytes for subsequent sensitive MS detections.