Characteristics and performance of gas chromatographic detectors with glass capillary columns

A comparison of the characteristics and Performance of the flame ionization, electron capture, and flame photometric detectors with capillary columns is described. Factors which may affect the limits of detection, linearity, chromatographic peak shape, and other detector performance characteristics are discussed and compared with the results of a model derived for the behavior of concentration and mass flow-rate dependent chromatographic detectors used with capillary GC systems. Examples are given of highly complex and labile mixtures such as pesticide residues and products from coal hydrogenation.     

Organic fuelled flames in selective ionization detectors for chromatography

Summary The selectivities of two flame-based ionization detectors identified as a Remote FID (RFID) and a Flame Thermionic Ionization Detector (FTID) have been improved by introducing methane as a fuel for the flame. Both the RFID and FTID feature a detector struture in which the ionization polarizer and collector are located several centimeters downstream of an oxygen-rich flame, rather than immediately adjacent to the flame as in a flame ionization detector. The RFID detects long-lived negative ions produced in the flame by the combustion of lead, tin, phosphorus, or silicon compounds. The FTID re-ionizes and detects neutral electronegative products generated by combustion of nitrogen, halogen, or phosphorus compounds. An organic-fuelled RFID can detect 1 pg Pb (Sn, P)/sec with a selectivity of the order of 10⁶ versus hydrocarbons. An organic fuelled FTID is applicable to detection of compounds at nanogram and higher levels. FTID selectivity for PCB compounds in a transformer oil matrix is of the order of 10⁵1. The improved selectivity achieved by using an organic-fuelled flame is also applicable to the detection of phospholipid and other non-volatile N, P, or Cl compounds using an FID/FTID detector accessory for a TLC/FID analyser.     

Determination of triphenyltin hydroxide derivatives by capillary GC and tin-selective FPD

A new method for the determination of triphenyltin hydroxide using capillary column gas chromatography with a tin-selective flame photometric detector has been developed. Triphenyltin hydroxide and its potential metabolites are converted to methyl derivatives and separated on glass capillary columns coated with OV-101. Derivatization of triphenyltin hydroxide, triphenyltin chloride, diphenyltin dichloride, phenyltin trichloride, and bis-triphenyltin oxide is nearly quantitative with a minimum of redistribution products. The selectivity of the flame photometric detector is cearly demonstrated by the comparison of chromatographic profiles obtained from using both the flame photometric and flame ionization detectors. The use of this chromatographic system in the analysis of triphenyltin hydroxide in a fortified water sample demonstrates the potential use of this system in organotin residue chemistry.     

The Use of the Helium Ionization Detector for Gas Chromatographic Monitoring of Trace Atmospheric Components

Two different gas chromatographic detectors, the helium ionization detector (HID) and the more commonly used flame ionization detector (FID), were used in parallel to compare their responses to a number of organic compounds. Atmospherically important oxygenated species were analyzed, as well as hydrocarbons and chlorinated and sulfur containing organics. The HID exhibited the better response to all compounds investigated, most notably to formaldehyde and higher oxygenates. A gas chromatographic system was developed to trap and analyze atmospheric organic compounds with HID detection. This required careful choice of the adsorbent material and removal of inorganic components (namely nitrogen and oxygen) before analysis. Real air samples were then taken and analyzed qualitatively for a range of olefinic and aromatic compounds.     

Evaluation and comparison of selective gas chromatographic detectors for the analysis of pesticide residues

Summary A series of studies is described on the evaluation and comparison of some selective gas chromatographic detectors used in pesticide residue analysis. A detailed study of the optimization and response characteristics of the CsBr and RbCl three-electrode alkali flame ionization detector for N and P compounds, the Coulson electrolytic conductivity detector in the nitrogen, sulphur and pyrolytic modes of operation and the sulphur phosphorus emission detector, a type of flame photometric detector, was carried out to obtain maximum sensitivity and reliability for the analysis of pesticide residues in various biological substrates. It was observed that the alkali flame and electrolytic conductivity detector responses to nitrogen compounds were of the same order, while the electrolytic conductivity detector was more sensitive than the flame photometric detector to sulphur compounds. Also, attempts were made to correlate the responses from these different detector systems using the insecticide chlorpyrifos which contains P, S, Cl and N atoms. The use of chlorpyrifos as an evaluation standard in verifying the acceptable performance of these types of detectors is recommended.Chemistry and Biology Research Institute Contribution No 901     

Glass capillary gas chromatography with simultaneous flame ionization (FID) and Hall® element-specific (HECD) detection

Two glass capillary gas chromatographic systems were equipped with inert effluent splitters which allowed simultaneous data acquisition using nonspecific and element-specific detectors. Simultaneous detection was achieved using the nonspecific flame ionization detector (FID) and the Hall^® electrolytic conductivity detector (HECD) operated in either the sulfur-or the nitrogen-specific mode. Typical application of the simultaneous detection system as applied to analysis of petroleum residues is briefly described. The Hall electrolytic conductivity detector can be made element specific for halogen-, sulfur-, or nitrogen-containing compounds. Simultaneous detection enhances the information yield from a single sample injection and proves to be a powerful complementary technique when used with computerized gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.     

Reference standards for quantitative trace analysis of PCB's by GC. Technical PCB formulations for the calibration of ECD and MSD responses

Summary The composition of any technical PCB formulation can be determined directly by analyzing the PCB sample by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID), provided the relative molecular masses of the components are known. The responses of electron capture and selected-ion monitoring, mass-spectra detectors can then be calibrated for individual PCB congeners by correlation of the chromatographic patterns with those of concentrated PCB samples obtained by GC-FID. This procedure, which uses a given technical PCB formulation as a secondary reference standard mixture, is to be preferred over existing calibration methods, when results with ±10% errors are acceptable because commercial PCB formulations cover the whole range of chlorination products.     

Analytical methods for phenyltin compounds in polychlorinated biphenyl-based transformer oil samples

We present the first study on the analytical methods of phenyltin compounds (PTs) in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-based transformer oil samples. Tetraphenyltin (TePhT) has been used as stabilizer for some kinds of PCBs-based transformer oil formulations. Monophenyltin (MPhT), diphenyltin (DPhT) and triphenyltin (TrPhT) could have been formed from TePhT during long-term use. TePhT was directly measured by gas chromatograph (GC) connected with three types of detectors, a mass spectrometer (MS), a flame photometric detector (FPD) and an atomic emission detector (AED) after dilution with hexane. MPhT, DPhT and TrPhT were propylated with Grignard reagent before measurement. The MS was the most sensitive of the detectors, with detection limits of phenyltin compounds of 30 ng/ml (MPhT), 9.8 ng/ml (DPhT), 5.5 ng/ml (TrPhT) and 0.60 ng/ml (TePhT), respectively. From the viewpoint of selectivity, MS was slightly worse than other detectors, but interference from PCBs matrices was not significant under ordinary analytical conditions. Two used transformer oil samples were analyzed using the analytical methods developed in this study. TePhT and TrPhT were found in both samples.     

Evaluation of the performance of various universal and selective detectors for sulfur determination in natural gas

In the present contribution, the performance of a number of commercially available selective and universal detectors that can be used in the analysis of sulfur components in natural gas is evaluated in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, quenching effect, stability, and compound dependence of the sulfur response. Investigated detectors include the sulfur chemiluminescnce, the flame photometric, the electron capture, the mass spectrometric, the thermal conductivity, and the flame ionization detector. The sulfur chemiluminescence detector was found to have the best overall performance, e.g., low picogram amounts of sulfur can be detected accurately and the linear dynamic range is more than five orders of magnitude. After careful optimization, the sulfur response of this detector was found to be almost compound independent. All other detectors, including the flame photometric and the electron capture detector, have more or less compound dependent responses.     

Critical appraisal of the flame photometric detector in petroleum analysis

Summary This paper summarises experience gained at the British Petroleum Limited Research Centre, Sunbury-on-Thames, with sulphur selective gas chromatography (GC) detectors. A single flame photometric detector (SFPD) has been in use for three years for research and routine applications. Three areas of interest are described demonstrating in turn different characteristics of the detector. Firstly, a determination of trace levels of individual organo-sulphur compounds in the 15–65°C cut of crude oils illustrates the complexity of using an SFPD in a rigorously quantitative manner. Secondly, the use of an SFPD as a qualitative tool for the comparison of the sulphur distribution of crude oils up to the temperature limit of GC is cited. Finally, a third section describes the properties of a dual flame photometric detector (DFPD) which are compared and contrasted with those of the SFPD.     

Evaluation of stationary phases and gas chromatographic detectors for determination of amines in water

For the first time, a systematic overview deals with the advantages and disadvantages of several stationary phases (polar and non‐polar) and gas chromatographic detectors (flame ionization detector, nitrogen–phosphorus detector and MS) for the determination of 27 amines (aliphatic and aromatic amines and N‐nitrosamines) in water samples. To increase sensitivity (250 mL of sample was eluted with 150 μL of solvent) and matrix elimination, an automatic SPE system was employed prior to GC determination. The best results in terms of resolution and retention times were achieved using a column coated with 5% phenyl‐dimethylpolysiloxane (DB‐5). Capacity factor (k) values for the 27 amines increased with the rise in the polarity of the stationary phase, ranging from 3.0–27.7 and 2.2–14.4 for polar (polyethylene glycol) and non‐polar (DB‐5) columns, respectively. The detection limits of the method were 0.9–9 μg/L for flame ionization detector, 8–95 ng/L for nitrogen–phosphorus detector and 0.2–6.3 ng/L for MS. The precision was similar for the three detectors (RSD, 3.7–6.0%). The GC‐MS method was applied with a high degree of accuracy and precision to determine amines in real samples including tap, river, pond, well, swimming pool and wastewaters.     

A novel method for the calibration of Kováts retention indices using n-alkanes with a thermionic nitrogen-phosphorus specific detector

This paper describes a novel method for the detection of compounds that do not contain nitrogen or phosphorus by a thermionic nitrogen-phosphorus specific detector (NPD), which normally detects only nitrogen- or phosphorus-containing compounds. This method allows for the calibration of gas chromatographic columns with NPD detectors using n-alkanes instead of nitrogen-containing drug mixtures. This results in a more rapid and accurate calibration for the calculation of relative retention indices (RRI), such as Kováts indices, than was previously possible when employing an NPD detector. The proposed method describes the temporary conversion of the NPD detector into a detector with properties much like a flame ionization detector. After a deliberate increase in the hydrogen gas flow rate to the thermionic bead from 4 ml/min to 8 ml/min, the n-alkanes (containing no nitrogen) can be detected and used as RRI calibrators. Once the column has been calibrated, the hydrogen gas flow rate is lowered to the normal rate of 4 ml/min. The detector then behaves as a normal NPD, no longer detecting the n-alkanes.     

Gas chromatographic system for the identification of halogenated pesticides by retention indices using n-alkanes as standards

A gas chromatographic system for the evaluation of linear temperature-programmed retention indices allowing n-alkanes to be adopted as the reference retention markers for any type of analyte, irrespective of the atoms present in their molecules, is described. It is based on the simultaneous use of two different detectors (a flame ionization detector and a specific detector suitable for the sample components), both connected (in parallel) to the same column outlet. The performance of this system has been tested by measuring the retention indices of fifteen chlorinated pesticides under conditions of linear programming temperature, by adopting an electron-capture detector as the specific detector. The reliability of the retention indices thus determined has been proven by verifying that they can be reproduced under different chromatographic conditions.     

Flow-rate dependence of post-column reaction chromatographic detectors and optimization of reactor length for slow chemical reactions

In high-performance liquid chromatography, use of any post-column reactor invariably involves a compromise between the conditions needed to obtain complete reaction and avoidance of excessive dispersion by band broadening in the reactor. Flow rate and the reactor geometry interact to establish the final chromatographic performance. Based on the flow-rate dependence of the peak area and peak height, post-column detectors constitute a distinct class of detectors which differ from mass-flow and concentrations-sensitive detectors such as the flame ionization and absorbance detector, respectively. The concept of reactor length optimization is developed for first-order chemical reactions in a post-column detector. The findings are applicable to both chromatographic and flow-injection systems.     

Highly sensitive determination of haloperidol in human serum by capillary gas chromatography using a surface ionization detector

A method has been developed for highly sensitive determination of haloperidol in human serum involving a simple extraction procedure followed by gas chromatographic separation. Target components were separated from the extracting solvents with a Van den Berg type solventless sample injector before introduction Into a DB-1 capillary separation column. A surface ionization detector (SID), which has highly selective sensitivity for Substituted amines, was employed for quantitation using bromperidol as an internal standard. Chloroform proved to be the best extracting solvent, yielding a quantitative detection limit of 5 ng/ml (S/N = 2). Comparison of the response to target compounds obtained by the SID, FTD (flame thermionic detector), and FID (flame ionization detector) showed the SID to be superior.     

tability Indicating Method for the Analysis of Nicotine in Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems by Means of Gas Chromatography

The delivery of drugs through human skin using transdermal drug delivery (TDD) systems has become an established technology. A popular drug with that dosage form is nicotine for smoking cessation. A stability indicating method for the analysis of nicotine TDDs using gas chromatography (GC) with post-column effluent splitting to a flame ionization detector (FID) and a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD) is described. FID detection gave reliable results with low day-to-day variability. The detector is relatively simple to operate. NPD detection offered enhanced sensitivity and specificity. The combination of both detectors resulted in a rugged method for content analysis with high sensitivity for detection of degradation products at low concentration levels. Despite a relatively simple sample preparation procedure no matrix interferences were observed.     

Comparison of the sensitivities of seven N-nitrosamines in pre-screened waters using an automated preconcentration system and gas chromatography with different detectors

A simple, expeditious procedure for confirming the presence of N-nitrosamines in previously screened positive water samples was proposed. Water samples were continuously aspirated into a photometric flow system for screening. Positive samples were then confirmed and N-nitrosamines were identified by gas chromatography using different detectors (mass spectrometry, flame ionization and nitrogen-phosphorus). The system for the screening purpose was based on the preconcentration of the analytes onto a sorbent column, elution, and derivatization to form nitrite, then formation of a coloured product (Griess reaction) and photometric detection. The detection limits of the gas chromatographic method for 100 ml of sample were 2.0-3.5 microg/l, 20-80 and 3-13 ng/l for flame ionization, nitrogen-phosphorus and mass spectrometric detectors, respectively. The precision as RSD was similar for all detectors (3.0-6.5%). The screening of different types of water showed that wastewaters contain levels of N-nitrosamines that can be detected only using MS as a detector.     

Comparison of universal detectors for high-temperature micro liquid chromatography

This study compares, through micro high-temperature liquid chromatography (microHTLC), three commercial universal detectors that allow a direct detection of lipids. The detectors are: the charged aerosol detector (CAD), the evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) and the ion trap mass spectrometer with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) sources (APCI-MS and ESI-MS). This study shows the feasibility to use the high temperature with these detectors and hybrid behavior between concentration and mass flow rate detector in microHTLC. The detectors were compared in terms of response intensity, linearity and limit of detection for different high temperatures. The charged aerosol detector shows a linear response from 5 to 500 microg/mL and the correlation coefficients (r(2)) obtained for squalene, cholesterol and ceramide IIIB exceed 0.99.     

Applications of moving-wire detectors for the liquid chromatography of fats and fatty acid derived oleochemicals.

Published applications of moving-wire detectors and other transport flame ionization detectors for the liquid chromatography of fats and oleochemical are briefly reviewed. The usefulness of this detector is illustrated by a number of examples taken from our own work at the Unilever Forschungsgesellschaft Hamburg. The chromatograms shown were chosen in which a way as to give an idea of how broad a range of applications may be covered by this approach.     

Means of distinguishing selenium peaks from sulfur peaks in gas chromatography with a flame photometric detector

Flow optimization, optical discrimination, and doping with carbon disulfide or methane were tested as means of distinguishing selenium peaks from sulfur peaks in a flame photometric detector. Optical discrimination is the best choice if a dual-channel detector is available. For single-channel detectors, methane doping quenches the sulfur peak more severely than the selenium peak, thus allowing the peaks to be identified.