The GLC Separation of Hydroxyl-Substituted Amines of Biological Importance Including the Catecholamines. Preparation of Derivatives for Electron Capture Detection

Abstract

The catecholamines and related biological amines have been converted to trimethylsilyl ether-amide derivatives through a two-step reaction sequence. All hydroxyl groups (phenolic and alcohol) were converted to TMSi ethers by reaction with TSIM. N-acylimidazole was added to the reaction mixture to effect the acylation of primary and secondary amines. TMSi-Ac (trimethylsilyl ether-acetyl) and TMSi-HFB (trimethylsilyl ether-heptafluorobutyryl) derivatives were studied. The HFB derivatives had excellent GLC properties. It is proposed to compare the sensitivity of detection of these and related compounds by flame ionization and by electron capture detection systems.     

The GLC Separation of Amphetamine and Ephedrines as Pentafluorobenzamide Derivatives and Their Determination by Electron Capture Detection

Abstract

β-Phenylethylamine was converted to its trifluoroacetamide (TFA), pentafluoropropionamide (PFP), heptafluorobutyramide (HFB), pentadecafluorooctanamide (PDFO) and pentafluorobenzamide (PFBO) derivatives. The gas chromatographic characteristics and flame ionization versus electron capture detection properties were investigated. The PFBO derivative showed excellent detection enhancement, and consequently it was chosen for further study with the drugs amphetamine and various ephedrines. Linear electron capture detector responses were shown by these N-acyl derivatives in the sub-nanogram region and the limits of detection, depending upon the specific compound, were between 10 and 60 pg. It is proposed that the PFBO derivative, subsequent to the development of an isolation procedure, will prove admirably suitable to the determination of these and similar drugs in plasma after administration of therapeutic dosages.     

Separation and Characterization of the Prostaglandins by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Prostaglandins of the A, B, E and F series, together with 8-iso-E₁, have been separated and characterized by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry through the use of TMSi and MO-TMSi derivatives.

These derivatives are suitable for work with GLC systems with flame ionization detectors. Additional derivatives must be sought for detection by electron capture techniques.     

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.     

The Glc Separation of Indole Amines and Indole Alcohols as Heptafluorobutyryl Derivatives

Abstract

Indole amines and indole alcohols were converted to heptafluoro-butyryl (HFB) derivatives by an acyl transfer reaction with heptafluoro-butyrylimidazole. The indole NH group as well as all amino and hydroxyl groups were acylated. The HFB derivatives have excellent gas chroma-tographic properties and can be used with either hydrogen flame or electron capture detection systems. Mass spectra of the HFB derivatives of biologic N, N-dialkyl indole amines are very characteristic; these compounds can be identified easily by GLC-MS methods.     

Analysis of sludge extracts by high resolution GC with selective detectors

Combination of various GC detectors by using a Varian effluent splitter with glass capillary columns has been found to be a rapid procedure for profiling organics extracted from sludges and river sediments. The selectivity and the increased sensitivity of the thermionic nitrogen-phosphorus detector (TSD), the electron capture detector (ECD), and the flame photometric detector (FPD) over the flame ionization detectors (FID) or mass spectrometers allow the detection of compounds present at trace levels without need for extensive sample cleanup. Furthermore, the combination of two selective detectors may supplement the information with regard to the chemical functionalities required for structure elucidation.     

Investigating the performance characteristics of the barrier discharge ionization detector and comparison to the flame ionization detector for the gas chromatographic analysis of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds

Abstract

The response behavior and performance characteristics of the recently introduced barrier discharge ionization detector (BID) for gas chromatography (GC-BID) were investigated by analyzing different classes of organic compounds such as alcohols, alkanes, cycloaliphatic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and others. The results obtained by GC-BID were compared with those of gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), aiming to demonstrate the particular merits of the new BID detector over the well-established FID. The response of the BID not only was found to be strongly dependent on the detector settings, but also shows a high dependence on the analyte class and the individual analyte. The sensitivity of the BID detector compared to the FID was higher by a factor of ca. 4 on average when considering all compounds analyzed. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was better than 5% for the majority of the cases. The BID detector showed better precision (lower RSD) in comparison with the FID for the investigated compounds. Linear calibrations were obtained for the analytes over more than four orders of magnitude with coefficients of determination typically higher than 0.999 and the limits of detection varied from 0.04 to 1.48?ng/s for the GC-BID.     

The Performance of a Dual Alkali Aerosol Flame Ionization Detector for Gas Chromatography

Abstract

The described alkali flame ionization detector (AFID) differs from other designs by introducing the alkali salt into the detector in the form of an aerosol. The preheated, desolvated alkali aerosol salt is introduced into a dual hydrogen gas flame assembly. This detector shows no evidence of fatigue due to the constant delivery of salt into the detector, compared to the fixed alkali supply found in other versions, which can be depleted by vaporization and become easily contaminated. This AFID design also allows for operation as an FID by implementing a simple pneumatic procedure. This paper deals with the performance and optimization of the detector using a dual alkali salt aerosol flame design for organonitrogen and organophosphorus compounds. Detection limits were 23.5 pgN/sec for alachlor, 185 pgN/sec for dinoseb, and 4.83 pgP/sec to 10.1 pgP/sec for various pesticides studied. Selectivity ratios are tunable to 6.6 × 10⁶ gP/gC, 4.0 × 10⁴ gN/gC and 2.3 × 10³ gP/gN by establishing the appropriate detector gas flow rates.     

Determination of nitrated polycyclic hydrocarbons in aerosols using capillary gas chromatography combined with different electron capture detection methods

A method is described which allows the determination of subnanogram concentrations of mono- and dinitrated polyaromatic hydrocarbons with two to four ring systems in aerosol samples. High performance liquid chromatography is used to separate the nitro compounds from other classes of substances. Carbozoles elute in the same fraction. Both electron capture detection and negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry combined with capillary gas chromatography are used for quantification. Use of these two methods leads to a considerable improvement of selectivity and sensitivity for nitrated compounds. In contrast to the situation with a nitrogen-sensitive detector, carbazoles do not interfere and detection limits in the order of 10–200 pg/m³ are possible. The applicability of the method is critically discussed. Determination of nitrated polyaromatic hydrocarbons in aerosol samples from an aluminum smelter serves as an example.     

Analysis of medazepam, diazepam, and metabolites in plasma by gas-liquid chromatography with electrolytic conductivity detection.

An improved electrolytic conductivity detector allowed the gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of medazepam, diazepam, and major metabolites in 2 ml plasma at concentrations of 20 microgram/l. The detector had a sensitivity limit of less than 1 ng (or 100 pg nitrogen) when operated in the nitrogen-selective mode and a nitrogen/carbon elemental selectivity ratio of greater than 100,000 compared to octadecane and cholesterol. Detector response when operated in various element-selective chemical modes was investigated, and its application to the analysis of the title compounds was compared to electron capture and flame ionization detection systems.     

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.     

Pulsed discharge detector: theory and applications

The pulsed discharge detector (PDD) is a significant advancement in gas chromatography (GC) detector design which can be operated in three different modes: pulsed discharge helium ionization (He-PDPID), pulsed discharge electron capture (PDECD) and helium ionization emission (PDED). The He-PDPID can detect permanent gases, volatile inorganics and other compounds which give little or no response with the flame ionization detector (FID) and has significantly better limits of detection (minimum detectable quantities (MDQs) in low picogram range) than can be achieved with a thermal conductivity detector (typically not lower than 1 ng). The PDECD has similar or better sensitivity (MDQs of 10(-15) to 10(-12) g) than radioactive source ECD but does not require licensing, wipe tests and other administrative or safety requirements which have increased over security concerns. The PDED shows promise as an extremely selective and sensitive elemental detector but a commercial unit is not presently available. In this report, the theory of operation, applications of the PDD and the practical aspects of using this novel detector are presented.     

Correlation between Electron Capture Response and Chemical Structure for Sulfur Compounds

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the electron capture process was investigated for a series of divalent sulfur compounds. The electron affinity and/or the activation energy for the electron capture reaction were calculated for individual compounds by plotting In KT^3/2 vs. 1/T, where K is the electron capture coefficient and T is the absolute temperature in the detector. The correlation between these values and chemical structure was discussed by means of 3d orbital resonance of the sulfur atom.     

A New Reagent for Determination of Isocyanates in Working Atmospheres by HPLC Using UV or Fluorescence Detection

Abstract

A new liquid chromatographic method with increased sensitivity has been developed for the determination of isocyanates common in industrial environments. The isocyanates are converted to stable urea derivatives by reaction with 9-(N-methylaminomethyl)-anthracene. These derivatives were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography on a bonded octadecylsilyl phase using isocratic elution with acetonitrile/water and detected either by a UV or a fluorescence detector. The method was applied to toluene 2, 4- and 2, 6-diisocyanate (2, 4- and 2, 6-TDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and 4, 4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI).

The influence of various salts on the retention of the reagent amine was studied, as well as the separation of the urea derivatives on different C₁₈-phases. The detection limit is about 1 · 10^?4 mg/m³ for the isocyanates investigated, using either UV or fluorescence detection. This means that the new method is ten to twenty times more sensitive than the previously described reversed phase LC method, which utilized N-4-nitrobenzyl-N-n-propylamine as reagent.     

Gas chromatography with surface ionization detection of nitro pesticides

A surface ionization gas chromatographic detector, based upon positive surface ionization, was used in capillary gas chromatography to sensitively and selectively detect nitro pesticides: pendimethalin, trifluralin, flumetralin. Higher sensitivity (better detection limit), substance specificity, and advantageous applicability are reported. Sensitivity to pendimethalin, trifluralin, and flumetralin was 1.4 C g⁻¹, 1.1 C g⁻¹, and 1.0 C g⁻¹, respectively, with the linear range of operation greater than 1 × 10⁵ for these compounds. The minimum detectable level was in the range of 10⁻¹³ g s⁻¹. Compared with an atomic emission detector, SID provided a 110 times better detection limit for trifluralin.     

Analysis of Polar Thermally Labile Pesticides using Different Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) Materials with GC and HPLC Techniques

Abstract

In the present study, an efficient method for extraction, separation and determination of a limited number (30) of polar pesticides in aqueous matrices has been developed. Pesticides were extracted with high recoveries (usually >85%) from 1 L water samples, using the solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique. Affinities to different SPE materials (C-18 and XAD resins) have been studied for all pesticides. Special attention has been paid to the following 5 pesticides (which have classified by the EC as compounds which are particularly difficult to analyse): benazolia, bromofenoxim, ethofumesate, fenamiphos and phenmediphain. Thermally labile compounds have been determined with high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV detection in comparison to TSP-LC-MS. Absolute limits of detection (LODs) for the HPLC technique are usually below 1 ng at 220 nm. Thermospray LC-MS determination shows usually limits of detection of 1-10 ng (SCAN) and 60-800 pg (SIM). All pesticides, which are amenable to GC have been detected in a comparative study with the following detectors: flame ionization detector (FID), nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD), electron capture detector (ECD) and atomic emission detector (AED). Element-specific detection of various functional groups of these pesticides has been achieved using GC-AED. Thus, while the FID has the lowest specificity, the AED is the most specific detector. LODs are usually < 300 pg (FID < 20 pg, NPD < 1 pg, ECD < 1 pg, AED < 300 pg). Spiked river water samples (from the River Leine and River Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany) have been used to test the employed method. With the spiked surface water samples recoveries were usually >80%.     

Analysis of Trace Levels of Volatile Organic Contaminants in Municipal Drinking Water by Glass Capillary Gas Chromatography Using Simultaneous Flame Ionization and Electron Capture Detection

Abstract

A glass capillary gas chromatographic system using simultaneous flame ionization (FID) and electron capture (ECD) detection has been employed for the analysis of trace volatile organic pollutants in a municipal drinking water supply. The use of dual detectors with glass capillary columns allows resolution and detection of both halogenated and non-halogenated compounds simultaneously at less than microgram per liter (ppb) concentrations. By using diethyl ether as a solvent in preparing standard solutions of volatile organic compounds, standardization is made more accurate due to a reduction in solvent masking of early eluting peaks of interest. Additionally, ether shows promise for use in an internal standard method for quantification of VOA. These techniques were found to alleviate problems previously encountered in the analysis of purgeable organics and are described.     

Estimation of N-ethyl O-isopropyl Thionocarbamate (Dow: 2-200) in Mine Wastes by GLC

Abstract

Dow 2200 is a selective ore flotation agent, consisting mainly of Nethyl, 0-isopropyl thionocarbamate (IF'ETC). This paper describes a GLC method for the estimation of IPETC, and compares it with the conventional U.V. spectrophotometric procedure.

An aliquot of a cyclohexane extract of IPETC (prepared for spectrophotometric analysis) is chromatographed on a column of SE-30 or OV-17/QF-1 at 125°C and the IPETC peak is estimated in a ³H electron capture detector (ECD). The ECD is superior in sensitivity and linearity of response to the flame photometric detector operated in the S-mode. The ECD-GLC procedure is comparable in sensitivity to the conventional U.V. absorbance method, and offers an independent and complementary procedure useful for confirmation of low levels of IPETC.     

Electron capture ion mobility spectrometry for the selective detection of chlorinated and brominated species after capillary gas chromatography

This paper reports the first investigation of electron capture ion mobility spectrometry as a detection method for capillary gas chromatography. In previous work with negative ion mobility detection after gas chromatography, the principal reactant ion species were O₂^? or hydrated O₂^? due to the presence of oxygen in the drift gas. These molecular reactant ions have a mobility similar to chloride and bromide ions, which are the principal product ions formed by most halogenated organics via dissociative ion-molecule reactions. Oxygenated reactant ions thus interfere with the selective detection of chloride and bromide product ions. A recently described ion mobility detector design efficiently eliminated ambient impurities, including oxygen, from infiltrating the ionization region of the detector; consequently, in the negative mode of operation, the ionization species with N₂ drift gas were thermalized electrons. Thermalized electrons have a high mobility and their drift time occupies a region of the ion mobility spectrum not occupied by chloride, bromide, or other product ions. The result was improved selectivity for halogenated organics which ionize by dissociative electron capture. This was demonstrated by the selective detection of 4,4′-dibromobiphenyl from the components of a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture (Aroclor 1248).     

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.