A simple,corrosion-resistant flow cell for laser-induced photoacoustic spectroscopic detection of high-performance liquid chromatography effluents

Summary A simple, corrosion-resistant and non-destructive flow cell optimized for laser induced photoacoustic spectroscopic detection of HPLC effluents is described. The characteristics and analytical figures of merit of the flow cell are presented. Application of the flow cell to the detection of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in HPLC effluent is demonstrated. Limits of detection were on the order of tenths of parts per million. Comparisons with the conventional UV absorbance detector and among various laser powers are discussed.