Characterization of lipids in complex samples using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Most lipids are a complex mixture of classes of compounds such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, diols, sterols and hydroxy acids. In this study, the suitability of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to a time-of-light mass spectrometer is studied for lipid characterization in complex samples. With lanolin, a refined wool wax, as test sample, it is demonstrated that combined methylation plus silylation is the preferred derivatization procedure to achieve (i) high-quality GC x GC separation and (ii) easily recognizable ordered structures in lipid analysis. Optimization of the GC x GC column combination, the influence of the temperature programme on the quality of the separation, and the potential and limitations of automated TOF-MS-based identification are discussed. The combined power of a 2D separation, ordered structures and MS detection is illustrated by the identification of several minor sample constituents.     

Fully automated determination of amphetamines and synthetic designer drugs in hair samples using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study describes a fully automated procedure using alkaline hydrolysis and headspace (HS) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by on-fiber derivatization and gas chromatographic (GC)-mass spectrometric (MS) detection of amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylendioxyamphetamine, methylendioxymethamphetamine, methylendioxyethylamphetamine, methylendioxyphenylbutanamine, and methylmethylendioxyphenylbutanamine in human hair samples. Ten milligrams of hair is washed with deionized water, petroleum ether, and dichloromethane. After the addition of deuterated internal standards the sample is hydrolyzed with sodium hydroxide and directly submitted to HS-SPME. After the absorption of analytes for an on-fiber derivatization procedure the fiber is directly placed into the HS of a second vial containing N-methyl-bis(trifluoroacetamide) before GC-MS analysis. The limits of detection are determined between 0.01 and 0.17 ng/mg. Absolute analyte recoveries are in the range between 0.3% and 7.5%. Linearity is proven over a range from 0.1 to 50 ng/mg with coefficients of correlation from 0.998 to 1. In comparison with conventional methods of hair analysis, this fully automated HS-SPME-GC-MS procedure is substantially faster and easier to perform without using solvents. It uses minimal sample amounts and has the same degree of sensitivity and reproducibility.     

Stereochemical analysis of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and its main metabolites by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is consumed as the racemate but some metabolic steps are enantioselective. In addition, chiral properties are preserved during MDMA biotransformation. A quantitative analytical methodology using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to determine enantioselective disposition in the body of MDMA and its main metabolites including 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA), and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine (HMA) was developed. Plasma and urine samples were collected from a male volunteer. The analysis of MDMA, MDA, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy metabolites by GC/MS required a two-step derivatization procedure. The first step consisted of derivatization of the amine with enantiomerically pure Mosher's reagent ((R)-MTPCl). Triethylamine was used as a base to neutralize hydrochloric acid formed during the reaction allowing quantitative derivatization, which resulted in a substantial improvement in the sensitivity of the method compared with other previously described techniques. Further treatment with ammonium hydroxide was required since both amine and hydroxyl groups underwent derivatization in the reaction. Ammonium hydroxide breaks bonds formed with hydroxyl groups without affecting amine derivatives. The second derivatization step using hexamethyldisilazane was needed for metabolites containing phenol residues. This derivatization method permitted the stereochemically specific study of MDMA and its main monohydroxylated metabolites by GC/MS. A detailed study of the chemical reactions involved in the derivatization steps was indispensable to develop a straightforward, sensitive, and reproducible method for the analysis of the parent drug compound and its metabolites.     

Experimental design for the study of two derivatization procedures for simultaneous GC analysis of acidic herbicides and water chlorination by-products

Two well known derivatization procedures, pentafluorobenzylation and BF(3)/methanol esterification, were compared for their applications to GC analysis of acidic water micropollutants (chloroacetic and phenoxyalkanoic acids). A two-level factorial design was used to determine the influence of different parameters and their interactions on each derivatization process. The studied parameters are the reaction time, the amount of reagent (PFBBr) or catalyst (BF(3)) and the temperature. Considering pentafluorobenzylation, the most influential factors are the concentration of PFBBr and the interaction ;temperature-time', which improve the derivatization efficiency. However, a PFBBr concentration of 250 mg l(-1) in the reaction medium cannot be exceeded because of the increase in interfering by-products in GC/ECD. Moreover, chloroacetic acid derivatives are co-eluted with these compounds. This disadvantage was not observed in the operating conditions of GC/MS. The improved pentafluorobenzylation procedure allows the direct determination of the derivatives in GC/ECD without any purification step. The average detection limits are 1.6 and 80 mug l(-1), respectively in GC/ECD and in GC/MS. The reproducibility is 13%. For the BF(3)/methanol esterification, the interactions ;BF(3) concentration-temperature' and ;BF(3) concentration-reaction time' are significant and have a negative effect on the derivatization yield. A linear model was therefore proposed and validated in the experimental area under study. All the compounds studied were detected in GC/MS, and the average detection limit is 2 mug l(-1). The reproducibility is around 7%. Therefore, after optimization, BF(3)/methanol esterification followed by GC/MS is as sensitive as pentafluorobenzylation used with GC/ECD, and more reproducible.     

Study of different parameters affecting the derivatization of acidic herbicides with trimethylsulfonium hydroxide to make them suitable for gas chromatography analysis

In this study, an orthogonal array design was applied to know the way different parameters affected the derivatization of some herbicides that are commonly applied in the soils. Herbicides formulated as esters have been reported to rapidly hydrolyse, in contact with soil, to their corresponding acids and phenols. What involves is that both forms need to be monitored. Acidic herbicides and phenols cannot be detected by gas chromatography (GC) due to their polarity and low volatility that cause peak asymmetry. Therefore, masking of these polar groups by eliminating the active hydrogen atom with derivatization to their corresponding esters/ethers is needed in order to yield products that possess enhanced volatility and improved GC properties. A lot of derivatization reagents have been proposed but trimethylsulfonium hydroxide (TMSH) was selected due to its easy and quantitative formation of methyl esters/ethers. It was observed that the addition of TMSH promoted not only esterification of acids/phenols but trans-esterification of the original non-hydrolyzed remaining esters to their corresponding methyl ones. As a result, methyl esters/ethers were the final product of both reactions. Different parameters were studied in the statistical design for both TMSH promoted reactions: type of solvent, pH, temperature and time of incubation. The amount of derivatization reagent was calculated to be high enough to ensure the complete derivatization of all compounds present in the sample. The reaction medium was shown as an important factor. The formation of some methyl esters/ethers decreased with increasing time and temperature because trans-esterification, being an equilibrium where the formation of smaller structures is promoted, was not enough shifted. However, the statistical analysis revealed that only the pH of the solution played an important role during the derivatization process. The presence of the anionic form of the acids appeared to be essential for derivatization, being diminished in strong acidic conditions. In addition, pre-heating was shown not to improve derivatization reaction, being easily carried on in the injector port of the GC system.     

Analysis of sucrose fatty acid esters by high temperature gas chromatography

A commercially available high temperature GC system has been investigated to determine its suitability for the automated analysis of sucrose fatty acid esters. In comparison with conventional GC, the high temperature variety broadens the scope of the technique to encompass high molecular weight carbohydrate derivatives while maintaining high separation efficiency. Despite the broad range of polarities, simultaneous quantification of educts and sucrose fatty acid ester fractions is possible in one run, after derivatization. Chromatographic requirements, sample preparation, structure verification by direct chemical ionization mass spectrometry, and advantages and limitations of the high temperature GC-analysis are discussed.     

Coupling of sequential injection analysis and capillary electrophoresis - Laser-induced fluorescence via a valve interface for on-line derivatization and analysis of amino acids and peptides

The on-line coupling of sequential injection analysis (SIA) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) via an in-line injection valve is presented. The SIA system is used for automated derivatization of amino acids and peptides. Dichlorotriazinylaminofluorescein serves as the derivatization agent, thus enabling sensitive laser-induced fluorescence detection of the derivatized analytes. The SIA procedure includes the following steps: (a) introduction of reagent and sample zones in a holding coil, (b) sample and reagent mixing in a reaction coil, (c) stop-flow step for increase of the reaction time, and (d) delivery of derivatized sample into the loop of the micro-valve interface. A small portion of the analyte zone is introduced electrokinetically in the separation capillary via the valve interface and CE analysis is performed. Factors affecting the CE separation, such as pH, the borate and sodium dodecyl sulphate concentration of the background electrolyte have been optimized. The derivatization conditions have been studied to obtain a high reaction yield in a relative short time. The transfer of a part of the reaction plug into the loop of the valve interface has been optimized. Using des-Tyr(1)-[Met]-enkephalinamide as test compound, it is demonstrated that after automated derivatization, on-line electrophoretic analysis could be achieved. Glycine has been selected as the internal standard in order to correct for variations in reaction time and filling of the injection loop. For the enkephalin, good reproducibility (RSD<4.5% calculated by the ratio of the peak areas) and linearity (0.5-5 microg mL(-1), R(2)>or=0.994) are obtained with a detection limit of 30 ng mL(-1) (S/N=3).     

Application of the novel 5-chloro-2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoro-1-pentyl chloroformate derivatizing agent for the direct determination of highly polar water disinfection byproducts

A novel derivatizing agent, 5-chloro-2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl chloroformate (ClOFPCF), was synthesized and tested as a reagent for direct water derivatization of highly polar and hydrophilic analytes. Its analytical performance satisfactorily compared to a perfluorinated chloroformate previously described, namely 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl chloroformate (OFPCF). The chemical properties (reactivity, selectivity, derivatization products, and their chromatographic and spectral features) for ClOFPCF were investigated using a set of 39 highly polar standard analytes, including, among others, hydroxylamine, malic and succinic acids, resorcinol, hydroxybenzaldehyde, and dihydroxybenzoic acid. Upon derivatization, the analytes were extracted from the aqueous solvent and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) in the electron-capture negative ionization (ECNI) mode. Positive chemical ionization (PCI)-MS was used for confirming the molecular ions, which were virtually absent in the ECNI mass spectra. ClOFPCF showed good reaction efficiency, good chromatographic and spectroscopic properties (better than with OFPCF), good linearity in calibration curves, and low detection limits (0.3–1 μg/L). A unique feature of the derivatizations with ClOFPCF, and, in general, highly fluorinated chloroformates, is their effectiveness in reacting with carboxylic, hydroxylic, and aminic groups at once, forming multiply-substituted non-polar derivatives that can be easily extracted from the aqueous phase and determined by GC-ECNI-MS. The entire procedure from raw aqueous sample to ready-to-inject hexane solution of the derivatives requires less than 10 min. Another benefit of this procedure is that it produced stable derivatives, with optimal volatility for GC separation, and high electron affinity, which allows their detection as negative ions at trace level. In addition, their mass spectra exhibits chlorine isotopic patterns that clearly indicate how many polar hydrogens of the analyte undergo derivatization. Finally, derivatization with ClOFPCF was used successfully to identify 13 unknown highly polar disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in ozonated fulvic and humic acid aqueous solutions and in real ozonated drinking water.     

Application of tandem mass spectrometry combined with gas chromatography and headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction for the determination of drugs of abuse in hair samples

A new method combination, headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction coupled with gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HS-SPDE/GC/MS/MS), is introduced to determine drugs of abuse in hair samples. This highly automated procedure utilizes SPDE for pre-concentration and on-coating derivatization as well as GC and triple quadrupole MS/MS for selective and sensitive detection. All these steps, apart from washing and cutting of the hair samples, are performed without manual intervention on a robot-like autosampler.SPDE is a solventless extraction technique related to solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The analytes are absorbed from the sample headspace directly into a hollow needle with an internal coating of polydimethylsiloxane by repeated aspirate/dispense cycles.The HS-SPDE/GC/MS/MS procedure was applied to the analysis of methadone, the trimethylsilyl derivatives of cannabinoids and the trifluoroacetyl derivatives of amphetamines and designer drugs. The method was shown to be sensitive with detection limits between 6 and 52 pg/mg hair matrix and precision between 0.4 and 7.8% by the use of an internal standard technique. Linearity was obtained from 0.1-20 ng/mg with coefficients of correlation between 0.995 and 0.999.Compared with conventional methods of hair analysis, HS-SPDE/GC/MS/MS is easier to use, substantially faster, with the degree of sensitivity and reproducibility demanded in clinical and forensic toxicology. The main advantage of the SPDE technique in relation to SPME is the robustness of the capillary.     

Ultratrace determination of highly hydrophilic compounds by 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl chloroformate-mediated derivatization directly in water

Highly hydrophilic compounds, with multiple carboxylic, hydroxylic, or aminic groups, have been determined at ultratrace level (3–30 fmol injected) in aqueous solution by direct derivatization with 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl chloroformate, followed by n-hexane extraction and analysis by gas chromatography-electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry (GC-ECNI-MS). The products have high molecular weights, but also high volatility, making their elution from the GC column efficient. The derivatizing agent was synthesized from the corresponding alcohol and phosgene. The derivatization reaction is catalyzed by a pyridine solution of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. At 200 °C ion-source temperature, most negative ion mass spectra showed only a weak or no molecular ion, but a controlled and interpretable fragmentation, allowing the derivatives to be easily monitored by high-mass ion chromatograms. Typical distinctive fragments are located in the m/z 500–800 mass range. Optimization of the operating conditions for the derivatization was performed. This was done in order to minimize number and intensity of peaks due to the hydrolysis of chloroformate in the total ion chromatogram. Calibration curves proved linear over two orders of magnitude concentration.     

Coupling of sequential injection with liquid chromatography for the automated derivatization and on-line determination of amino acids

The principle of sequential injection (SI) was exploited to develop a fully automated pre-column derivatization procedure combined on-line to liquid chromatography (LC). Using SI-LC derivatization 14 amino acids were determined fluorimetrically in pharmaceuticals with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) as the derivatization reagent. The SI system was used for the handling of samples and reagents, on-line mixing and introduction to the LC injection system. Chemical (pH and reagents concentrations) and instrumental variables (sample and reagent volumes, reaction time and flow rate) were optimized to attain the highest reaction yield and detector signal. Reversed phase chromatographic resolution of 14 amino acids was achieved within 35 min using gradient elution. The automated operation of the coupled SI-LC system resulted in very satisfactory performance. The method was applied for the simultaneous determination of amino acids in pharmaceutical formulations.     

大气颗粒物滤膜中极性有机物在线衍生装置的设计与应用

设计制作了一套用于气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)分析极性有机物的在线衍生装置,并将其应用于大气颗粒物样品中极性有机物的检测.将大气颗粒物滤膜样品置于GC-MS进样口,通过使用套针组件,匀速引入气态衍生试剂N-甲基-Ⅳ-(三甲基硅烷)三氟乙酰胺(MSTFA),使其在衬管内于310℃下与待测物接触,10 min即可完成硅烷化...     

The changing face of chemical derivatization in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

The present and past use of chemical derivatization reactions is overviewed with emphasis on the present role of derivatization in chromatographic and electrophoretic methods with special respect to fluorogenic derivatization to increase the selectivity and sensitivity, chiral derivatization to transform enantiomeric pairs to easily separable diastereomers, and GC/GC-MS derivatization. Non-chromatographic derivatization is also discussed with emphasis on UV-VIS spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, and immunoassay methods. The up-to-dateness of derivatization methods with negative examples mainly from the field of UV-VIS analysis are also discussed. Finally, examples are given on how the experiences obtained in the course of old studies can be used to solve current problems with the aid of chemical derivatization. Received: 19 January 1998 / Revised: 2 March 1998 / Accepted: 6 March 1998     

The changing face of chemical derivatization in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

The present and past use of chemical derivatization reactions is overviewed with emphasis on the present role of derivatization in chromatographic and electrophoretic methods with special respect to fluorogenic derivatization to increase the selectivity and sensitivity, chiral derivatization to transform enantiomeric pairs to easily separable diastereomers, and GC/GC-MS derivatization. Non-chromatographic derivatization is also discussed with emphasis on UV-VIS spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, and immunoassay methods. The up-to-dateness of derivatization methods with negative examples mainly from the field of UV-VIS analysis are also discussed. Finally, examples are given on how the experiences obtained in the course of old studies can be used to solve current problems with the aid of chemical derivatization. Received: 19 January 1998 / Revised: 2 March 1998 / Accepted: 6 March 1998     

Comprehensive automation of the solid phase extraction gas chromatographic mass spectrometric analysis (SPE-GC/MS) of opioids,cocaine, and metabolites from serum and other matrices

The analysis of opioids, cocaine, and metabolites from blood serum is a routine task in forensic laboratories. Commonly, the employed methods include many manual or partly automated steps like protein precipitation, dilution, solid phase extraction, evaporation, and derivatization preceding a gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS) or liquid chromatography (LC)/MS analysis. In this study, a comprehensively automated method was developed from a validated, partly automated routine method. This was possible by replicating method parameters on the automated system. Only marginal optimization of parameters was necessary. The automation relying on an x-y-z robot after manual protein precipitation includes the solid phase extraction, evaporation of the eluate, derivatization (silylation with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide, MSTFA), and injection into a GC/MS. A quantitative analysis of almost 170 authentic serum samples and more than 50 authentic samples of other matrices like urine, different tissues, and heart blood on cocaine, benzoylecgonine, methadone, morphine, codeine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, dihydrocodeine, and 7-aminoflunitrazepam was conducted with both methods proving that the analytical results are equivalent even near the limits of quantification (low ng/ml range). To our best knowledge, this application is the first one reported in the literature employing this sample preparation system.     

在线自动化柱前衍生-高效液相色谱法测定食品中组胺的研究

建立了在线自动化柱前衍生.高效液相色谱法测定食品中组胺的新方法.通过对测定过程中各个影响因素进行优化,如自动化衍生程序的设定,衍生试剂的用量,衍生体系pH影响等,确立了适宜的测定条件.在该条件下,对于组胺的检出限为0.01 μg/mL,在0.05～100 λg/mL范围内,线性关系良好(r2＞0.999).通过对样品基质进行加标,检出限为0.20 mg/kg.将所建立的方法应用于金枪鱼罐头,烟熏鲣鱼,冻鲭鱼等样品中组胺的测定,测得的组胺含量为0.59～167 mg/kg,加标回收率均大于97%,测定值的相对标准偏差均小于5%.所建立的方法适用于大量样品的常规分析测定.     

Extraction and derivatization of polar herbicides for GC-MS analyses

A sample preparation procedure including a simultaneous microwave-assisted (MA) extraction and derivatization for the determination of chlorophenoxy acids in soil samples is presented. For a selective and sensitive measurement, an analytical technique such as GC coupled with MS needs to be adopted. For GC analyses, chlorophenoxy acids have to be converted into more volatile and thermally stable derivatives. Derivatization by means of microwave radiation offers new alternatives in terms of shorter derivatization time and reduces susceptibility for the formation of artefacts. Extraction and derivatization into methyl esters (ME) were performed with sulphuric acid and methanol. Due to the novelty of the simultaneous extraction and derivatization assisted by means of microwave radiation, a careful investigation and optimization of influential reaction parameters was necessary. It could be shown that the combination of sulphuric acid and methanol provides a fast sample preparation including an efficient clean up procedure. The data obtained by the described method are in good agreement with those published for the reference material. Finally, compared to conventional heating and also to the standard procedure of the EPA, the sample preparation time could be considerably shortened.     

Automated on-line in-tube solid-phase microextraction-assisted derivatization coupled to liquid chromatography for quantifying residual dimethylamine in cationic polymers

A method for the analysis of dimethylamine (DMA) by automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME)-supported chemical derivatization coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed. Extraction, derivatization and desorption were studied by using a capillary coated with 95% polydimethylsiloxane and 5% polydiphenylsiloxane. Solution derivatization and automated IT-SPME derivatization using 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC) were compared. The proposed procedure provided adequate linearity, accuracy and precision in the 0.2-2.0 microg/mL concentration interval, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 50 ng/mL. The main advantages of the proposed procedure are: (i) no off-line sample manipulation, (ii) rapidity, as the total analysis time is about 10 min, (iii) specificity for the samples assayed, (iv) minimal consumption of FMOC reagent and (v) minimal residues. Therefore, the proposed method is an environmental-friendly and cost-effective alternative for the control of residual DMA in polymeric cationic surfactants used like flocculants in water treatment.     

Chromatographic approaches for determination of low-molecular mass aldehydes in bio-oil

HPLC–UV and GC/MS determination of aldehydes in bio-oil were evaluated. HPLC–UV preceded by derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine allows separation and detection of bio-oil aldehydes, but the derivatization affected the bio-oil stability reducing their quantitative applicability. GC/MS determination of aldehydes was reached by derivatization with o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Two approaches for this reaction were evaluated. The first: “in solution derivatization and head space extraction” and the second: “on fiber derivatization SPME”, the latter through an automatic procedure. Both sample treatments allows the quantification of most important aliphatic aldehydes in bio-oil, being the SPME approach more efficient. The aldehyde concentrations in bio-oil were ～2% formaldehyde, ～0.1% acetaldehyde and ～0.05% propionaldehyde.