Standards and GC-MS analysis: An answer to the requirement of compound confirmation

Summary The attribution of an unknown GC-MS chromatographic peak to a specific substance should be confirmed whenever possible by comparison with a standard compound analysed under the same experimental conditions. The range of chemicals supplied by various companies is very wide but can never be completely comprehensive. This paper proposes two simple ways by which a reference compound may be obtained. Firstly, it may occur as an impurity in a commercial sample as a synthesis by-product. Alternatively, the compound may be synthesized by a simple procedure, preferably a single step one, by putting small amounts of reagents in a sealed glass vial placed in a programmable oven. Examples of these two approaches are described.