High‐throughput gas chromatography for volatile compounds analysis by fast temperature programming and adsorption chromatography

The synergy of combining fast temperature programming capability and adsorption chromatography using fused silica based porous layer open tubular columns to achieve high throughput chromatography for the separation of volatile compounds is presented. A gas chromatograph with built‐in fast temperature programming capability and having a fast cool down rate was used as a platform. When these performance features were combined with the high degree of selectivity and strong retention characteristic of porous layer open tubular column technology, volatile compounds such as light hydrocarbons of up to C₇, primary alcohols, and mercaptans can be well separated and analyzed in a matter of minutes. This analytical approach substantially improves sample throughput by at least a factor of ten times when compared to published methodologies. In addition, the use of porous layer open tubular columns advantageously eliminates the need for costly and time‐consuming cryogenic gas chromatography required for the separation of highly volatile compounds by partition chromatography with wall coated open tubular column technology. Relative standard deviations of retention time for model compounds such as alkanes from methane to hexane were found to be less than 0.3% (n = 10) and less than 0.5% for area counts for the compounds tested at two levels of concentration by manual injection, namely, 10 and 1000 ppm v/v (n = 10). Difficult separations were accomplished in one single analysis in less than 2 min such as the characterization of 17 components in cracked gas containing alkanes, alkenes, dienes, branched hydrocarbons, and cyclic hydrocarbons.     

Quantification of fatty acids in erythrocytes and plasma by fast gas chromatography

As a result of the heterogeneous nature of lipid classes in complex biological matrices such as plasma and erythrocytes, it is imperative to have a robust and validated methodology for fatty acid quantification. The effective method presented here combines available methodology of fast gas chromatography and an improvement of the sample preparation methodology before injection into the gas chromatograph. This methodology ensures complete transesterification and quantification of total and individual fatty acids (and not only in relative amounts) by addition of internal standards. We considered sample preparation key, and we established the use of lysis buffer and ethanol for erythrocytes and plasma sample preparation, respectively. Fatty acid profile was determined by acid methylation and fast gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector. The triacylglycerol 13:0, phosphatidylcholine 23:0, and methyl esters 21:0 were used as internal standards. Within the linearity of the calibration, the ratio of the peak area of each fatty acid over the peak area of the internal standard was constant (coefficient of variation ≤ 2.5). Satisfactory repeatability <15% and intermediate reproducibility < 15% were observed. Finally, this validated method was applied to a pre‐clinical trial that investigated the impact of dietary fats on accretion of specific fatty acids in plasma and erythrocytes.     

A new tropane alkaloid from the leaves of Erythroxylum subsessile isolated by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography

Tropane alkaloids are bioactive metabolites with great importance in the pharmaceutical industry and the most important class of natural products found in the Erythroxylum genus. However, these compounds are usually separated by traditional chromatographic techniques, in which the sample is progressively purified in multiple chromatographic steps, resulting in a time‐ and solvent‐consuming procedure. In this work we present the isolation of a novel alkaloid, 6β,7β‐dibenzoyloxytropan‐3α‐ol, together with the two known 3α‐benzoyloxynortropan‐6β‐ol and 3α,6β‐dibenzoyloxytropane alkaloids, directly from the crude alkaloid fraction from the leaves of Erythroxylum subsessile, by using a single run pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography method. The ethyl acetate/water (1:1, v/v) biphasic solvent system with triethylamine and HCl as retention and eluter agents, respectively, was used to isolate tropane alkaloids for the first time. The structures of the isolated alkaloids were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.     

On-line identification of tropane alkaloids from Erythroxylum vacciniifolium by liquid chromatography-UV detection-multiple mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry

The bark of catuaba (Erythroxylum vacciniifolium Martius, Erythroxylaceae), a tree native to the northern part of Brazil, was investigated for its alkaloid content. With the aim of obtaining preliminary structure information on-line, the alkaloid extract was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array UV detection, to mass spectrometry and to nuclear magnetic resonance. Interpretation of on-line spectroscopic data obtained from this extract led to structural elucidation of six new alkaloids and partial identification of 18 potentially original alkaloids bearing the same tropane skeleton esterified in positions 3 and 6 by 1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-carboxylic acid and/or 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid.     

气相色谱近年的发展

简要阐述了近几年气相色谱(GC)的发展和特点。GC是一个成熟的技术,广泛地应用于各个领域,近几年GC的发展除了继续研究新的固定相和高性能的毛细管色谱柱之外,主要在全二维气相色谱(GC×GC)、快速GC、便携式GC仪和微型GC仪几个方面。近几年新研究的GC固定相主要集中在常温离子液体和各种环糊精的衍生物。现在GC研究者趋向于使用商品化的GC毛细管柱,而商品化的GC毛细管柱应用最多的是以含5%苯基的聚甲基硅氧烷为固定相的色谱柱。GC×GC发展迅猛,特别是关于调制器的研究,已开发出十多种调制模式,并广泛地应用于各个领域。为了适应大量样品的分析和现场分析,研究和开发了多种快速GC方法和仪器以及便携式GC仪。为了仪器的小型化和专属性检测,μGC仪的研究也稳步地发展起来。     

Simultaneous determination of terpenes and cannabidiol in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) by fast gas chromatography with flame ionization detection

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has become widely used in several sectors due to the presence of various bioactive compounds such as terpenes and cannabidiol. In general, terpenes and cannabidiol content is determined separately, which is time consuming. Thus, a fast gas chromatography with flame ionization detection method was validated for simultaneous determination of both terpenes and cannabidiol in hemp. The method enabled a rapid detection of 29 different terpenes and cannabidiol within a total analysis time of 16 min, with satisfactory sensitivity (limit of detection = 0.03–0.27 µg/mL, limit of quantitation = 0.10–0.89 µg/mL). The inter‐ and intraday precision (RSD) was <7.82 and <3.59%, respectively. Recoveries at two spiked concentration levels (low, 3.15 µg/mL; high, 20.0 µg/mL) were determined on both apical leaves (78.55–101.52%) and inflorescences (77.52–107.10%). The reproducibility (RSD) was <5.94 and <5.51% in apical leaves and inflorescences, respectively. The proposed and validated method is highly sensitive, robust, fast, and accurate for determination of the main terpenes and cannabidiol in hemp and could be routinely used for quality control.     

Nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of selected tropane alkaloids in a plant extract

Summary The potential of nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis has been investigated for the separation of structurally similar tropane alkaloids. The effects of the organic solvent and of electrolyte composition on separation selectivity, migration times, and efficiency are described. The addition of trifluoroacetic acid to the separation buffer was found beneficial for manipulation of the order of migration of the two positional isomers littorine and hyoscyamine. Replicate injections under nonaqueous conditions gave migration time and peak area data of excellent precision. The application of the optimized conditions to the analysis of hyoscyamine and scopolamine in genetically transformed root cultures ofDatura candida x D. aurea is presented.     

A very thick film open-tubular trap for headspace capillary gas chromatography

Summary An open-tubular trap with a very thick film was studied for “full on-line” headspace capillary gas chromatography, and was used as an enrichment trap for headspace sampling. The preparation of the open-tubular column with up to an 80 μm thick film, by combining both static and dynamic coating, is described in detail. The break-through volume for the open-tubular trap of different film thickness, as the loading capacity for HS sampling, does not increase linearly in proportion to the film thickness. A study of the difference between a packed adsorbent trap and an open-tubular trap shows that HS capillary GC with open-tubular trap loses less of the retention capacity, has better resolution ability and higher recovery. By independently and rapidly heating the open-tubular trap, the GC peaks may have higher resolution. Examples of successful analyses, by the opentubular trap with “full on-line” HS capillary GC, include trace aromatic hydrocarbon (1 ppm-100 ppm) in polybutadiene-styrene rubber and trace alcohol and acrylic esters (10 ppm–1000 ppm) in polyacrylate hydrous emulsion.     

Evaluation of fast gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the analysis of lipids

Fast and conventional gas chromatography (GC) techniques were applied to nine different lipidic matrices (butter, lard, tallow, and peanut, corn, sunflower, soya, olive, menhaden oils). Simultaneous methylic transesterification was performed on all samples prior to GC analysis. Several practical aspects concerning high speed analysis were investigated, such as the great increase in linear velocity, the use of fast temperature ramps, column sample capacity and detection systems. Analytical results showed certain losses in resolution, balanced by a consistent reduction in analysis time. The actual time savings were variable (60-70 min) as they were dependent on the complexity of the sample while the speed enhancement factor was equal to 10.5. Peak identification was achieved by means of different information sources, such as fast GC-mass spectrometry (MS), linear retention indices and comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) gas chromatography group patterns. The method developed was shown to be applicable in routine applications on complex natural samples.     

氯代苯甲酸异构体的毛细管气相色谱分析

氯代苯甲酸是一种重要的精细化工产品,用途广泛,如用于合成临床治疗精神抑郁症的吗氯贝胺[1]及有机颜料中间体N (3 氨基 4 氯代苯甲酰基) 2 甲基 3 氯代苯胺[2]。但是氯代苯甲酸各异构体的性质差异极大,用途也不尽相同[3,4]。工业产品或多或少都会含有位置异构体,因此测定[5 7]氯代苯甲酸中各异构体含量就显得相当重要。已有报道的分析方法,或对仪器性能要求高,或操作繁琐,或分离效果不甚理想,因而在实际应用中受到一定的限制。考虑到氯代苯甲酸具有强极性、低挥发性等特点,本文采用甲酯化衍生物法对氯代苯甲酸异构体进行了气相色谱分…     

快速气相色谱法测定食品中的常见防腐剂

摘要：建立了一种分离测定食品中6种常见防腐剂(山梨酸，苯甲酸，对羟基苯甲酸甲酯、对羟基苯甲酸乙酯、对羟基苯甲酸丙酯、对羟基苯甲酸丁酯)的简单、准确的快速气相色谱方法，采用长10m，内径100μm的HP-5熔融石英毛细管柱，在快速程序升温条件下，6种常见防腐剂的分析时间为1．3min。各组分平均回收率(n=3)为96．45％；检出限为1．2～10μg／mL；线性相关系数大于0．994。该方法已用于实际食品中防腐剂的检测。     

Determination of toluenesulfonic acid isomers by gas chromatography

Summary A gas chromatographic method for the determination of isomeric distribution in toluenesulfonic acid samples is described. The acids are transformed into the corresponding ethyl esters by reaction with triethyl orthoformate in toluene. The reaction mixture can be injected, without further purification, into the gas chromatograph. The separation is best performed on columns containing OV-210 or polyphenyl ether (6 rings) as the stationary phase.     

Analysis of trace components in gases by gas chromatography

Summary Relationships are derived describing how the detection limit of a chromatographic system depends on the minimum detectable limit of the detector and the chromatographic parameters such as column length, efficiency, carrier gas flow rate and the capacity factor. Performance data of detectors developed in the last 25 years at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are given and a few selected application examples are listed. These include trace analysis by preconcentration and by direct analysis and the utilization of multidimensional gas chromatography with two columns, two detectors, a 12-port valve, and a catalytic conversion reactor.     

Determination of the isomeric distribution and associated impurities in commercial diethylbenzenes by capillary gas chromatography

A capillary gas chromatographic method for the quantitative analysis of diethylbenzene fractions is described. Estimation of ortho-, meta- and para-isomers and other C₉ and C₁₀ aromatic impurities is covered. The conditions developed involve the use of a capillary column of Carbowax-1540 (300 feet × 0.01 inch) under isothermal operation. The retention index data for a number of aromatics are presented at four temperatures (90, 100, 110 and 120°C). The method offers a good choice for any level of concentration both for isomers and impurities commonly encountered within a reasonable analysis time.     

超临界流体色谱对吴茱萸中吲哚类生物碱的快速分析

建立了超临界流体色谱快速分析吴茱萸中吲哚类生物碱的方法。以标准品混合物和复杂样品为对象比较4种色谱柱的分离效果,进行色谱柱的筛选;考察了进样体积、改性剂、添加剂、温度和背压对保留行为的影响。结果表明,进样体积对峰形影响显著;添加剂对保留时间和色谱峰形影响有限;改变改性剂能使保留时间显著改变;降低温度,升高背压,保留时间减小。经过优化,确定采用Waters ACQUITY UPC² BEH色谱柱,以甲醇为改性剂,在35 ℃柱温和2.07×10⁷ Pa背压条件下,15 min内完成复杂样品的分析。同时采用超高效液相色谱完成复杂样品的快速分析。结果表明,超临界流体色谱可用于天然产物的高效快速分析,同时该方法与超高效液相色谱在分离选择上的差异有助于天然产物分析方法的拓展。     

Theory of fast capillary gas chromatography part. 2: Speed of analysis

Using hold-up time as a measure of the speed of analysis with a given column efficiency, a theory of pneumatic optimization of a column in the fast high pressure drop isothermal and temperature programmed GC is developed. Expression for the hold-up time as a function of column efficiency, carrier gas velocity and film thickness is derived. Also found are the expressions for the minimum hold-up time and optimum gas velocity in a speed-optimized column. These quantities are compared with their counterparts in the efficiency-optimized column.