Rapid and sensitive determination of morphine in street opium samples by thermal desorption gas chromatography using a microfurnace pyrolyzer

Thermal desorption of the alkaloids in opium samples at 300 degrees C using a vertical microfurnace pyrolyzer was followed by their on-line gas chromatographic (GC) analysis on a large-bore glass capillary column. This method permitted rapid and sensitive determination of the content of the main alkaloid, morphine, in the small (ca. 100 microg) opium samples with a relative standard deviation within 4% for 5 runs. The observed morphine contents of about 12 to 15 w/w% in the given opium samples were in fairly good agreement with those estimated by a conventional GC-MS method.     

Characterization of polymers by multi-step thermal desorption/programmed pyrolysis gas chromatography using a high temperature PTV injector

Thermal treatment hyphenated with gas chromatography is a versatile and powerful tool in the study of polymer characterization. An inexpensive system where thermal treatment at different temperatures occurs inside a Programmable Temperature Vaporization injector (PTV) is described. The samples investigated, commercial plastics, are complex mixtures that contain several polymers and additives. These plastics as well as their pure constituents are subjected to multi-step thermal treatment. The individual chromatograms of the various constituents of the polymeric sample are correlated with those of the final material in order to identify additives (thermal desorption) and degradation products (pyrolysis). Results obtained with the new method indicate the interesting potentials of the technique for the characterization of polymer compositions. Reproducibility of absolute and relative peak areas has been considered and found to be acceptable. The absence of a heated transfer line and switching valves, which are always present in conventional set-ups, eliminates the risk of losses of high molecular weight components. Further advantages of the technique proposed are simplicity, versatility, and its inexpensive nature.     

Quantitative analysis of phthalates using a pyrolyzer gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method

A pyrolyzer gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method eliminates toxic solvents that burden our environment and can address the crucial problem of the solvent extraction GC/MS method. The purpose of this study is to establish an efficient quantitative analysis method for 10 phthalates that are regulated by the several governments. A change of concentrations over time for phthalates and internal standards was measured to verify the feasibility of using an auto sampler that facilitates analyzing multiple samples. Both standards maintained constant concentrations over the appropriate time for analysis. A certified reference material under the auspices of the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science was used to verify the calibration curve obtained by the pyrolyzer GC/MS method, and a deviation was considered similar to the solvent extraction GC/MS method. Then, the limit of detection and limit of quantitation values were confirmed for various consumer products. To verify the reliability of the method, a comparative test with several accredited testing institutes was conducted, and the results were within the standard deviations of the results provided by the institutes. These results indicate that the pyrolyzer GC/MS method can be used in not only screening but also in accurate quantitative analysis.     

Development of a curie-point headspace sampler for capillary gas chromatography

A Curie-point headspace sampler (CPHS) equipped with a purge and trap sampler has been developed for use with capillary gas chromatography. The new system can handle a variety of samples, including gases, liquids, and solids, and can also be used as a pyrolyzer.     

Development of a novel solid-phase extraction element for thermal desorption gas chromatography analysis

A novel solid-phase extraction element is developed for sorptive enrichment of dilute analytes from liquid samples with high extraction efficiencies due to its larger amounts of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) absorbent than the conventional syringe type of solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The extraction element is made of titanium (Ti) open tubular tube (30 mm x 1.2 mm i.d. x 1.6 mm o.d.) coated with a chemically bonded layer of PDMS (500 microm in thickness). The extraction element combined with thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system was used to extract and analyze a typical herbicide, bethrodine in water samples over a concentration range from 2.5 to 2.5 x 10(4) ng/l. Thus obtained calibration curve showed good linearity for the tested whole concentration range with regression coefficient of 0.992. Detection limit of 0.5 ng/l level was achieved and the reproducibility of the measurements for bethrodine at 10 ng/l level was found to be fairly good with relative standard deviation below 7.5%.     

Dynamic headspace analysis of trace volatile components in polymeric materials by wide bore capillary gas chromatography

A novel dynamic headspace gas chromatographic system equipped with a wide bore capillary column was constructed for direct analysis of less volatile components in polymeric materials such as coating paints. With this system, the determination of typical paint additives such as hindered amine light stabilizers and ultraviolet absorbers could be carried out within a short time.     

A novel quantitation method for phthalates in air using a combined thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry application

In this study, a novel quantitation method was developed to facilitate the simple and effective sampling and analysis of phthalates in air based on a sorbent tube-thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system combination. The performance of the thermal desorption-based analysis was assessed using three different sorbent combinations [1]: quartz wool (QW) [2], glass wool (GW), and [3] quartz wool plus Tenax TA (QWTN) in terms of relative recovery in reference to a direct injection method. There was no significant difference in the average recovery rate for seven target phthalates based on sorbent tube type (QW, 70.2 ± 4.28; GW, 73.2 ± 8.8; and QWTN, 72.5 ± 5.02%). However, the recovery rate of phthalates in each sorbent tube type was distingusihed by physicochemical properties of the target compound (e.g., molecular weight and boiling point). The recovery rate of the QW tube was high for dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate compared to other sorbent tubes, while that of the GW tube exhibited greater values for dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate. The simple sorbent tube-thermal desorption approach is feasible for the quantitation of seven phthalates present at 0.45–24.5 ng m⁻³ levels in actual air samples (20 L).     

Direct analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls in heavily contaminated soils by thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A robust analytical method is presented for the direct determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in soil samples by thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The method is simple to perform (thermal desorption and analysis are performed in-line employing a limited amount of sample, 2?mg) and eliminates the need for any solvent and time-consuming extraction. The analytical procedure was optimized using a soil sample spiked with Aroclor 1254 and Aroclor 1260 and validated with a certified industrial soil sample for which the concentration of thirteen PCB congeners are known. Limits of detection were sensitive to matrix effects and varied substantially among analytes. The matrix effect resulted in a reduction of the limits of detection by 1.5–10 times. However, it was found that the matrix effect is not due to ion suppression but to the increase of the noise of selected ion monitoring (SIM) traces, indicating that no limitation exists with using a single surrogate standard. By employing a 13C-labelled PCB internal standard, limits of detection in the range of 0.8 to 10?µg?g^?1 of soil were obtained. The obtained experimental results demonstrated that the proposed analytical method can be conveniently applied for screening a large number of heavily contaminated soil samples thus avoiding the employment of harmful solvents and time-consuming extraction procedures.     

A new type of capillary column for gas chromatography

A new type of capillary column for gas chromatography was proposed. A sorbent layer (for example, stationary liquid phase) is supported on the internal capillary surface, and the internal (interstitial) volume is packed with nonporous large particles of a sorbent (particle diameter is 0.1—0.6 of the capillary internal diameter). The external surface of the particles can also be coated with the sorbent layer (for example, stationary liquid phase). The specific separation efficiency (number of separation) on the new type column is by 1.6—2.3 times higher than that of the initial classical capillary column.     

Advances in the determination of volatile organic solvents and other organic pollutants by gas chromatography with thermal desorption sampling and injection

Summary The problem of the separation of 34 volatile organic chlorinated compounds is solved by using three different GC columns selected according to the needs of the particular separation required. The effect of water vapor contained as moisture in the trapped air on the retention of some characteristic compounds is studied. The influence of dead volumes on trap injection is also studied.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. A. Liberti on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Determination of phosphine and other fumigants in air samples by thermal desorption and 2D heart-cutting gas chromatography with synchronous SIM/Scan mass spectrometry and flame photometric detection

Fumigants and volatile industrial chemicals are particularly hazardous to health when a freight container is fumigated or the contaminated material is introduced into its enclosed environment. Phosphine is now increasingly used as a fumigant, after bromomethane--the former fumigant of choice--has been banned by the Montreal Protocol. We have enhanced our previously established thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) method by integrating a second gas chromatographic dimension and a flame photometric detector to allow the simultaneous detection of phosphine and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), providing a novel application. A thermal desorption system is coupled to a two dimensional gas chromatograph using both mass spectrometric and flame photometric detection (TD-2D-GC-MS/FPD). Additionally, the collection of mass spectrometric SIM and Scan data has been synchronised, so only a single analysis is now sufficient for qualitative scanning of the whole sample and for sensitive quantification. Though detection limits for the herewith described method are slightly higher than in the previous method, they are in the low μL m(-3) range, which is not only below the respective occupational exposure and intervention limits but also allows the detection of residual contamination after ventilation. The method was developed for the separation and identification of 44 volatile substances. For 12 of these compounds (bromomethane, iodomethane, dichloromethane, 1,2-dichlorethane, benzene, tetrachloromethane, 1,2-dichloropropane, toluene, trichloronitromethane, ethyl benzene, phosphine, carbon disulfide) the method was validated as we chose the target compounds due to their relevance in freight container handling.     

Trace determination of airborne polyfluorinated iodine alkanes using multisorbent thermal desorption/gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry

A novel gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry method coupled with multisorbent thermal desorption cartridges has been developed for the determination of volatile neutral polyfluorinated iodine alkanes (PFIs) in airborne samples. It allows, for the first time, simultaneous analysis of four mono-iodized perfluorinated alkanes, three diiodized perfluorinated alkanes and four mono-iodized polyfluorinated telomers in ambient air samples. 3.75 L air sample was passed through a sorbent tube packed with 150 mg of Tenax TA and 200 mg of Carbograph 1TD for analyte adsorption. Important factors during the analysis procedures, such as safe sampling volume, air sampling rate, analyte desorption and transfer strategies, were optimized and good thermal desorption efficiencies were obtained. The method detection limit (MDL) concentration ranged from 0.04 pg/L for 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorododecyl iodide to 1.2 pg/L for perfluorohexyl iodide, and instrument response of a seven-point calibration was linear in the range of 10–1000 pg. Travel spike recoveries ranged from 83% to 116%. Small variabilities of less than 36% were obtained near the MDLs and the differences between triplicates were even smaller (2.1–7.3%) at 200 pg spiked level. The method was successfully applied to analyze ambient air samples collected near a point source, and five PFIs were identified (10.8–85.0 pg/L), with none of the analytes detectable at the background site.     

Development of direct microwave desorption/gas chromatography mass spectrometry system for rapid analysis of volatile components in medicinal plants

A new direct microwave desorption–gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry method was developed for the analysis of the essential oils of medicinal plants. A homemade direct microwave desorption system was fabricated and used for the desorption of volatile components of medicinal herbs. The desorbed volatiles are transferred directly into the gas chromatography injector for analysis in a one‐step process. Approximately 0.3 g of the herb was needed for the desorption of samples in 60 s. In this study, more than 53 volatile compounds were identified and quantified for Echinophora platyloba DC as model herb sample. The results were found to be in good agreement with the conventional hydrodistillation extraction data. The described results show that direct microwave desorption is fast, simple, and easy to automate and requires only a small amount of sample. The results indicate that essential oil components valuable for varietal identification and characteristic of each variety analyzed when direct microwave desorption–gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry was used for analysis.     

Determination of chlorobenzenes in environmental samples using solid phase microextraction, thermal desorption and analysis by gas chromatography coupled to FID, ECD, MSD, IRD detectors

Summary A complex method was developed for the determination of chlorobenzenes in soil and groundwater samples. Samples were taken at two sites in Baranya county, where a mixture of chlorobenzene waste was deposited, causing severe contamination in the environment. Clean-up of these sites demands modern and reliable analytical methods. Several sample preparation techniques were used, such as solid phase microextraction (SPME), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and a recently developed thermal desorption method. The applicability of various sample preparation methods was compared by measuring recovery percentages, relative standard deviations and by investigating the matrix dependency of these values. Gas chromatography was used for quantitative determination of chlorobenzenes, using MS, IR, FID and ECD detection techniques. Detection levels were as low as 1 ppt in water, and 10 ppt in soil samples. Chlorobenzene concentration was in the range 1 ppt-1 ppm in water and 100 ppb-100 ppm in soil samples. Identification and calibration of these compounds were performed by quantitative standards. This complex analytical method can be used for rapid and precise quantitative and qualitative determination of chlorobenzenes. Presented at: Balaton Symposium on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 3–5, 1997     

Analysis of Alaskan crude oils by glass capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Glass capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is used to profile Alaskan crude oil for purposes of origin verification. Alaskan oil, sampled at Valdez, Alaska, and transshipped to the U.S. East Coast, is compared with 21 samples of foreign crude oil using GC/MS techniques in which original data is reconstructed at selected parent and fragment ions to generate a series of chromatographic profiles. Comparison of selected profiles and compositional parameters derived from peak ratios allows distinction of Alaskan oil from many foreign crudes and may be applied to the examination of crude mixtures.     

An international round-robin study for the analysis of particulate semi-volatile organics by thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) is becoming more commonly used for the quantification and identification of organic compounds in particulate matter (PM), including ambient and source PM such as diesel particulate matter (DPM). It has been proven as an alternative to the traditional solvent extraction (SE) method and liquid injection gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (LI-GC/MS). However, little information is available on how different types of TD-GC/MS systems compare to each other for analysis of real-world PM samples or to direct LI-GC/MS for analysis of PM components in a test solution. To address this, CanmetENERGY Characterization Laboratory initiated a round robin with the participation of 10 laboratories worldwide. Three sample types were analysed: (i) a test solution with a suite of pure compounds commonly found in PM, analysed by TD-GC/MS and LI-GC/MS; (ii) a DPM sample, analysed by TD-GC/MS and SE; and (iii) an ambient PM sample, analysed by TD-GC/MS. The first part of the study showed good overall performance and comparability between the different TD-GC/MS systems and LI-GC/MS method for the analysis of PM components in a test solution, with some variability of results due to system types and parameters used, concentration of calibration standards, and whether or not an internal standards was used. The analysis of the DPM sample showed greater variability between laboratories and methods as many PM components were present near the detection limit and matrix effects particularly affected the TD-GC/MS analysis of heavier n-alkanes. In the last part of the study, for the analysis of an ambient PM sample by TD-GC/MS, the analysis of variance showed good comparison between labs for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (94% non-significant), but slightly lower for n-alkanes (68%) and biomarkers (57%).     

Separation and analysis of trace volatile formaldehyde in aquatic products by a MoO3/polypyrrole intercalative sampling adsorbent with thermal desorption gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

An in situ embedded synthesis strategy was developed for the preparation of a MoO₃/polypyrrole intercalative sampling adsorbent for the separation and analysis of trace volatile formaldehyde in aquatic products. Structural and morphological characteristics of the MoO₃/polypyrrole intercalative adsorbent were investigated by a series of characterization methods. The MoO₃/polypyrrole sampling adsorbent possessed a higher sampling capacity and selectivity for polar formaldehyde than commonly used commercial adsorbent Tenax TA. Finally, the MoO₃/polypyrrole adsorbent was packed in the thermal desorption tube that was directly coupled to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the analysis of trace volatile formaldehyde in aquatic products. Trace volatile formaldehyde from real aquatic products could be selectively sampled and quantified to be 0.43–6.6 mg/kg. The detection limit was achieved as 0.004 μg/L by this method. Good recoveries for spiked aquatic products were achieved in range of 75.0–108% with relative standard deviations of 1.2–9.0%.     

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…     

两种高热稳定性端羟基单阳离子型咪唑离子液体毛细管气相色谱固定相的性能评价

采用静态法将合成的端羟基单阳离子咪唑离子液体1-(6-羟己基)-3-丁基咪唑二(三氟甲基)磺酰亚胺盐(HHBIM-NTf₂)和1-(8-羟辛基)-3-丁基咪唑二(三氟甲基)磺酰亚胺盐(HOBIM-NTf₂)作为固定相制备离子液体毛细管气相色谱柱。采用Grob试剂、混合醇样品和芳香族异构体混合物对固定相色谱选择性进行了考察,Grob试剂和混合醇组分产生的尖锐、对称的色谱峰形及异构体混合物组分达到基线分离的结果均表明端羟基离子液体固定相具有良好的色谱选择性。HHBIM-NTf₂柱和HOBIM-NTf₂柱经250 ℃老化8 h后对异构体混合物的分离能力没有明显下降,而HHBIM-NTf₂柱经300 ℃老化后仍有理想的异构体选择性,表明端羟基离子液体固定相具有理想的热稳定性。本结果为进一步改善单阳离子型咪唑离子液体固定相的色谱性能提供了有效途径。