New methodologies in trace analysis of volatile organic compounds

Two methods for sampling and concentration of volatile organic compounds are reported. In the first method, traps coated with a very thick film (ca. 100 μm) of cross-linked silicone stationary phase are employed. Such thick films can be prepared with a modified dynamic coating procedure, which is briefly described. The low phase ratio traps can be utilized for enrichment of volatiles from gaseous as well as aqueous matrices. The second technique is based on chromatographic evaporation of a solvent in a capillary tube, where the process is sustained by a repeated sample injection and a cyclic flow reversal. In this way, large solvent volumes can be handled by a small volume system. Under optimal conditions, when using a solvent barrier, quantitative recovery is possible even for compounds of comparatively high volatility. Another important application of the technique is extraction of trace components from gases such as headspace samples, polluted air, etc.     

Variable splitter for regulation of the solvent evaporation rate in the coupling of liquid chromatography with gas chromatography

A system is described which accelerates the solvent evaporation rate in the retention gap. The evaporation is due to a saturation effect of the carrier gas stream, and a considerable increase in evaporation rate is obtained by inserting a split outlet between the retention gap and the capillary separation column in the gas chromatograph. By varying the backpressure of the spliter device, the flow rate through the retention gap can be adjusted and so too the evaporation rate. The evaporation process was monitored by inserting a dectecter in the split outlet line. The technique was applied to the on-line LC trace enrichment/GC analysis of water containing a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Determination of trace amount of cobalt in feed grains and forages by solvent extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A method is described for the determination of trace amounts of cobalt in feed grains and forages with a detection limit of 1 ng g-1. Samples are ashed in a muffle furnace and complexed with 2-nitroso-1-naphthol. Following solvent extraction, cobalt is determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The assay can be carried out in a normal analytical laboratory without the need for special "clean" rooms. Reagents have been selected to keep reagent blank values at low levels, and heptan-2-one is used as extracting solvent to avoid problems with evaporation. The assay has been used for diagnostic purposes and to formulate special low cobalt diets for sheep for experimental purposes.     

Addition of internal standards to particulate sample matrices for routine trace analyses of semivolatile organic compounds: A source of systematical and random errors

This article is a criticism of the strategy of adding (isotope labelled) internal standards of semi volatile hydrophobic organic compounds directly on the surface of particulate samples matrix such as sediment, soil and fly ash, etc. in a small aliquot (mL) of solvent, before trace level analysis. The use of the internal standard is intended to compensate for incomplete extractions, clean-up losses, dilution errors and instrument variations. However, direct addition of internal standards to sample matrices creates two possibilities for inaccurate results by processes only affecting the internal standard: First, evaporation losses of standard from the sample matrix during evaporation of the carrier solvent. Second, the native analyte and internal standard sorb to the sample matrix with differing force. Both processes can introduce systematic and random error to the result. A systematic error of 74% due to evaporation losses of tetra chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins is observed, while the corresponding error for octa chlorinated dioxin is 0%. The associated random error is 45% for tetra down to 1–4% relative standard deviations for hepta and octa chlorinated dioxins. For laboratory staff the evaporation losses of standard (and native) compounds causes, besides dust, an additional risk of inhalation exposure. The internal standard should instead be added to the extraction solvent after the extraction. Smaller systematical errors (10–20%) and associated random errors due to irreversible sorption are discussed.     

Trace level determination of manganese in liver tissues employing substoichiometric thermal neutron activation analysis

Liver tissues from rat have been analyzed for determining trace amounts of manganese present by employing thermal neutron activation analysis and substoichiometric solvent extraction of Mn/II/ with 1,2,3-benzotriazole into 1-octanol. Three samples and a standard can be processed and counted within three hours.     

Addition of internal standards to particulate sample matrices for routine trace analyses of semivolatile organic compounds: A source of systematical and random errors

This article is a criticism of the strategy of adding (isotope labelled) internal standards of semi volatile hydrophobic organic compounds directly on the surface of particulate samples matrix such as sediment, soil and fly ash, etc. in a small aliquot (mL) of solvent, before trace level analysis. The use of the internal standard is intended to compensate for incomplete extractions, clean-up losses, dilution errors and instrument variations. However, direct addition of internal standards to sample matrices creates two possibilities for inaccurate results by processes only affecting the internal standard: First, evaporation losses of standard from the sample matrix during evaporation of the carrier solvent. Second, the native analyte and internal standard sorb to the sample matrix with differing force. Both processes can introduce systematic and random error to the result. A systematic error of 74% due to evaporation losses of tetra chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins is observed, while the corresponding error for octa chlorinated dioxin is 0%. The associated random error is 45% for tetra down to 1–4% relative standard deviations for hepta and octa chlorinated dioxins. For laboratory staff the evaporation losses of standard (and native) compounds causes, besides dust, an additional risk of inhalation exposure. The internal standard should instead be added to the extraction solvent after the extraction. Smaller systematical errors (10–20%) and associated random errors due to irreversible sorption are discussed. Received: 4 September 1997 / Revised: 26 January 1998 / Accepted: 31 January 1998     

Shifting of gas chromatographic retention times due to solvent effects — a study using sulfur chemiluminescence detection

Gas chromatrography (GC) with sulfur chemiluminescence detection (SCD) is an outstanding combination for selectively determining trace concentrations of sulfur compounds in hydrocarbon samples. GC peaks can be identified by retention times when reproducible, automated injection techniques are used. However, as described in this work, analysts should be on the look out for retention shifting due to solvent effects from sample components. Three examples of retention shifting are presented: (1) thiophene by benzene; (2) methylthiophenes by toluene; and (3) dibenzothiophene by gas oil. Depending on samples and analysis conditions, retention shifts from a few hundredths to 1.5 min have been observed. Such retention shifts are likely to cause errors in peak identifications. Therefore, when using SCD, simultaneous FID monitoring is recommended as an aid in evaluating chromatograms for possible retention shifting due to solvent effects.     

Co-solvent effects for preventing broadening or loss of early eluted peaks when using concurrent solvent evaporation in capillary GC. Part 1: Concept of the technique

The concept and some first results of a method are described for evaporating large volumes of solvent in a relatively short pre-column (retention gap) in such a way that solvent trapping retains volatile components in the inlet up to completion of solvent evaporation. The method was developed for transferring large volumes (easily exceeding 1 ml) of HPLC eluent to GC when using on-line coupled HPLC-GC, but is equally suited for injecting large sample volumes (at least some 50 μl) and could be particularly useful for introducing aqueous solutions. Concurrent solvent evaporation allows introduction of very large volumes of liquid into GC. However, peaks eluted up to some 40–80° above the column temperature during introduction of the liquid are strongly broadened due to the absence of solvent trapping. On the other hand, previous retention gap techniques involving solvent trapping were not suited for transferring very large volumes of liquid into GC. Using a relatively high boiling co-solvent added to the sample or the HPLC eluent, advantages of concurrent solvent evaporation can be combined with solute reconcentration by solvent effects, allowing elution of sharp peaks starting at the column temperature during introduction of the sample.     

Preparative gas chromatography with glass capillary columns

The present paper describes an automated system for preparative gas chromatography with glass capillary columns, controlled by a microprocessor. The effluent from the capillary column is divided by a pneumatically controlled splitter and any desired split ratio between traps and detector can be obtained. Moreover, a second pneumatic control allows instantaneous change-over to a different split ratio, thus minimizing loss of material during collection. The effluent containing the compounds of interest is passed through a multiple manifold and collected in coiled glass capillary traps. To ensure maximum trapping efficiency even for very small amounts of material, the inner walls of the capillary traps are wetted with a suitable solvent, which gives a quantitative recovery of micro- and nanogram amounts of material. After repetitive sampling, sufficient amounts of material can be obtained for NMR spectroscopy and possibilities exist to enrich trace components with the aid of a double column system. Two examples of such applications are given, employing mixtures of both synthetic and natural origin.     

Trace analysis of fullerenes in biological samples by simplified liquid-liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

Fullerene (C60) has several potential biomedical and industrial applications. While pure fullerene is not soluble in water, nanoparticles of the fullerene aggregates (nano-C60) can be prepared in water solutions. The concentration of nano-C(60) in biological media after systemic exposure could be very low and requires trace analytical methods to be developed for the toxicological and pharmacokinetic studies of the nanomaterial. A serious drop in extraction efficiency was observed when the concentration was under 0.5 microg/mL using traditional liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) protocols. The evaporation of the solvent extract to dryness was found to be the main reason for the efficiency drop and an improved evaporation method was proposed to overcome this problem. Optimal proportion of glacial acetic acid (GAA) was used to solublize the proteins and surfactants in the biological samples, so that the emulsion problem was eliminated during LLE. Magnesium perchlorate was used to destabilize the nano-C60 particles in the water solution and promoted the solvent extraction. A simplified LLE method was developed for high throughput while preserved the advantages of the traditional LLE. The developed method was used for trace analysis of fullerenes in protein containing media and tape-stripped skin samples. Under optimal experimental conditions, the detection limit was 0.34 ng/mL and the recovery was in the range of 94-100% (n=5) at a concentration of 10 ng/mL nano-C60 in the biological media.     

Substoichiometric thermal neutron activation analysis determination of ruthenium in complex matrices

Complex matrices, namely ores and catalysts, have been analyzed for trace amount of ruthenium employing thermal neutron-activation analysis, involving substoichiometric solvent extraction of Ru/III/ with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole into chloroform. Three samples and a standard can be processed and counted within three hours.     

Concentration of volatile organic compounds from solvents by sustained chromatographic evaporation

A system for quantitative concentration of volatile organic trace compounds present in organic solvents is described. Evaporation of the solvent is carried out inside a glass capillary tube by the action of a carrier gas, and large volumes can be reduced by a repeated sample injection and a cyclic flow reversal. Best recovery is obtained when a barrier of pure solvent is maintained ahead of the sample during concentration. Four rotary valves are employed for sample and solvent injection and direction of the gas flow. In principle, indefinite sample volumes can be handled, the limit being set by system contaminants. The process was evaluated both off-line and on-line to a gas chromatograph. Concentration of compounds like methylcyclopentane, hexane, and cyclohexane present in pentane in the low nanogram range and subsequent on-line transfer to a gas chromatograph could be performed with a quantitative recovery. The technique was applied to analysis of trace volatiles in drinking water. Detection limits were estimated to be approximately 0.02 ng/L for normal hydrocarbons (FID detection) when concentration of a pentane extract from a one litre water sample was carried out.     

Comparison of Common Solvent Evaporation Techniques in Organic Analysis

Abstract

Isolation of organic constituents from water frequently involves an extraction with a large volume of organic solvent which must be reduced to achieve the desired sensitivity. The objective of this research was to evaluate common solvent evaporation techniques to determine which are acceptable for use in pollutant analysis. Techniques for solvent reduction from 200 to 10 mL (macro) and 8 to 0.2 mL (micro) were evaluated. The macro concentration technques included Kuderna-Danish (K-D) concentration, rotary evaporation, evaporation on a hot plate in an Erlen-meyer flask, and heated nitrogen blowdown in an Erlenmeyer flask. The micro techniques included micro K-D concentration, nitrogen blowdown, and nitrogen blowdown with a modified Snyder column. A series of model compounds covering a wide range of boiling points (108° to 323°C) and polarity was used. Based upon recovery efficiency alone, nitrogen blowdown was significantly superior to the other macro techniques; however, its extreme slowness gave K-D the highest Figure of Merit. With methylene chloride as the solvent, nitrogen blowdown with a column was the superior technique.     

Determination of trace level bromate and perchlorate in drinking water by ion chromatography with an evaporative preconcentration technique

A simple sample preconcentration technique employing microwave-based evaporation for the determination of trace level bromate and perchlorate in drinking water with ion chromatography is presented. With a hydrophilic anion-exchange column and a sodium hydroxide eluent in linear gradient, bromate and perchlorate can be determined in one injection within 35 min. Prior to ion chromatographic analysis, the drinking water sample was treated with an OnGuard-Ag cartridge to remove the superfluous chloride and concentrated 20-fold using a PTFE beaker in a domestic microwave oven for 15 min.The recoveries of the anions ranged from 94.6% for NO2- to 105.2% for F-. The detection limits for bromate, perchlorate, iodate and chlorate were 0.1, 0.2, 0.1 and 0.2 microg/l, respectively. The developed method is applicable for the quantitation of bromate and perchlorate in drinking water samples.     

Study of types and mixture ratio of organic solvent used to dissolve polymers for preparation of drug-containing PLGA microspheres

The effects of the types and the ratios of various organic solvents used as a mixtures to dissolve poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) by using a solvent evaporation method, a technique used to prepare polymer particles, were carefully studied in order to investigate their advantages in developing drug delivery system (DDS) formulations for the prepared microspheres. The particle size and drug loading efficiency of drug-containing PLGA microspheres were found to be dependent on the types of solvent used due to the interfacial tension between the organic solvent and water phase. The drug loading efficiency of monodisperse microspheres prepared by using a membrane emulsification technique employing organic solvents and high interfacial tension for dissolving the PLGA was increased in a controlled manner. The organic solvents with high interfacial tension in the water phase used for the preparation of polymer particles by means of the solvent evaporation method were found to be suitable in terms of improvement in the properties of DDS formulations.     

Evaluation of Gravimetric Methods for Dissoluble Matter in Extracts of Environmental Samples

Abstract

A number of gravimetric methods were evaluated for the determination of dissolved matter in solvent extracts of combustion samples. The methods described included thermogravimetric analysis, weighing after evaporation under nitrogen, and a microscale evaporation method developed in this study. A well characterized combustion sample, known to consist primarily of alkylated bicyclic and tricyclic aromatic compounds, served as a reference material. Results for the three methods are presented and compared. Although the thermogravimetric analyzer was found to be accurate and versatile, a good compromise between cost, time and accuracy was provided by the microscale evaporation method.     

Role of the retaining precolumn in large-volume on-column injections of volatiles to gas chromatography

In the present study the retaining precolumn, which is commonly used in a set-up for large-volume on-column injections, or when solid-phase extraction (SPE) or liquid chromatography is coupled to gas chromatography (CC), was removed after varying its length from the standard length of 3 m down to zero. A dramatic increase of the evaporation rate of the injected organic solvent was obtained from a typical value of 100 microl/min up to 300 microl/min. The increased evaporation rate allowed (i) injection of a larger volume in the same retention gap, (ii) faster injection/transfer of the organic solvent and (iii) reduction of the transfer temperature. As volatile compounds under partially concurrent solvent evaporation conditions are easily lost once the organic solvent has been removed via a solvent-vapour exit (SVE), the parameters for large-volume injection, i.e. the evaporation rate and injection speed, were optimised using accurate measurements of the real flow-rate of the carrier gas into the GC system. All these options have been evaluated over the last 4 years. In order to demonstrate that omitting the retaining precolumn had no effect on the application range of the on-column interface, analytes as volatile as benzene were injected into GC-MS using 50-200 microl of n-pentane solutions. Contaminants were extracted from river water and wastewater into n-pentane using in-vial liquid-liquid extraction. The detection limits for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene were approximately 10 ng/l. To obtain optimum results the SVE had to be closed 1 s before the end of evaporation. Several brands of n-pentane were analysed to check for the presence of benzene. Most of them contained interfering compounds and benzene at the low microg/l level and therefore had to be cleaned by means of column chromatography. As another example C8-C17 alkylphenones were extracted from wastewater with n-hexane. Detection limits were 10-40 ng/l.     

Polar solvents for the desorption of a liquid chromatographic precolumn coupled on-line with a capillary gas chromatograph

Coupling column liquid chromatography and gas chromatography on-line is becoming more important in analytical chemistry. Especially when large amounts of polar solvents can be introduced into the gas chromatograph without any problem, the technique will offer new possibilities. With a DPTMDS retention gap, evaporation rates and flooded zones of some solvents have been determined. Two modes of operation using partially concurrent solvent evaporation conditions are discussed: (1) injecting a sample via a loop of an LC valve followed by introduction into the gas chromatograph with an LC pump; (2) trace enrichment on a precolumn followed by on-line desorption with n-propanol into the gas chromatograph. Preliminary results for a splitter system, inserted between the retention gap and the analytical column which allows a considerable increase of the evaporation rate are also presented.     

Splitless injection of up to hundreds of microliters of liquid samples in capillary GC: Part II,experimental results

Sample evaporation in splitless injection of large volumes is rapid: depending on the experiment, results indicate that 200 μl of hexane, for instance, evaporates in 2–10 s, producing vapor at a rate of many hundreds of milliliters per minute. A 60 × 4 mm packed bed of 20–35 mesh Tenax TA enabled injection of 200 μl volumes of all solvents tested, and even 1 ml injections were possible provided they were performed over a period of 30 s. Retention of volatile sample components depends on the sample solvent, the injection volume, and the injection speed, but only little on the injector temperature. Losses of n-tridecane varied from hardly 15 % (when dissolved in pentane) to ca 60 % (ethyl acetate); losses of n-heptadecane were usually below 20 %. The column temperature during injection should be at least ca 20–30°C above the standard solvent boiling point.     

两亲性Janus粒子在蜂窝状多孔聚合物膜上的自组装性能

采用具有两亲性的两面体(Janus)粒子实现稳定的粒子界面组装与水滴模板法自组装过程相结合的方法获得了粒子在蜂窝状多孔聚合物薄膜内壁的高效定向修饰.通过与均质粒子组装形貌的对比,证明了Janus粒子因其特殊的界面自组装活性,可以获得高粒子加量条件下的规则多孔结构,解决了使用均质粒子时存在的结构有序性和粒子修饰密度之间的矛盾.而在较低粒子加量的条件下,Janus粒子也展示出与均质粒子极为不同的组装形貌.这一方法的建立,为新型表面功能化材料的制备提供了一个新的思路.