Model for predicting comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography retention times

A model for approximating the relative retention of solutes in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) is presented. The model uses retention data from standard single-column temperature-programmed separations. The one-dimensional retention times are first converted into retention indices and then these indices are combined in a simple manner to generate a retention diagram. A retention diagram is an approximation of the two-dimensional chromatogram that has retention order and spacing in both dimensions similar to that found in the experimental chromatogram. If required, the retention diagram can be scaled to more closely resemble the two-dimensional chromatogram. The model has been tested by using retention time data from single-column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and valve-based GCxGC. A total of 139 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were examined. Approximately half of the VOCs had a single functional group and a linear alkyl chain (i.e., compounds with the structure Z-(CH(2))(n)-H). The retention diagrams had primary retention orders that were in excellent agreement with the GCxGC chromatograms. The relative secondary retention order for compounds with similar structures was also accurately predicted by the retention diagram. However, the relative secondary retention for compounds with dissimilar structures, such as acyclic alcohols and multi-substituted alkylbenzenes, were less accurately modeled. This study demonstrates how readily available single-column retention time data can be used to provide an a priori estimate of the relative retention of solutes in a GCxGC chromatogram. Such a capability is useful for screening possible combinations of stationary phases.     

溶剂辅助蒸馏-气相色谱-串联质谱法分析酿酒葡萄中的游离态萜烯类化合物

应用气相色谱-串联质谱联用技术(GC-MS/MS)和溶剂辅助蒸馏技术(SAFE)对4种酿酒葡萄中的游离态萜烯类化合物进行了研究。采用恒温振荡法浸提葡萄中的成分,溶剂辅助蒸馏法除去不挥发性成分,提取液经氮吹浓缩后进行GC-MS/MS分析。实验中优化了SAFE条件(循环水浴温度、样品流量)。通过NIST05a谱库检索、标准品的保留指数（RI值）对比及参考文献的RI值对比分析，在4种葡萄中共鉴定出30种萜烯类化合物,其中包括10种单萜烯类化合物、18种倍半萜烯类化合物、1种二萜烯类化合物以及1种三萜烯类化合物。在蛇龙珠葡萄中检出了28种萜烯类化合物,在梅鹿辄、赤霞珠和品丽珠葡萄中分别检出了16，17和16种萜烯类化合物。在蛇龙珠葡萄中检出了17种倍半萜烯类化合物,远多于其他3种酿酒葡萄。通过半定量分析，发现在赤霞珠葡萄中单萜烯类化合物含量较高,在蛇龙珠葡萄中倍半萜烯化合物含量较高。实验结果表明,该方法适用于酿酒葡萄中游离态萜烯类成分的定性和定量分析。     

Water-soluble constituents of coriander

From the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of coriander (fruit of Coriandrum sativum L.), which has been used as a spice and medicine since antiquity, 33 compounds, including two new monoterpenoids, four new monoterpenoid glycosides, two new monoterpenoid glucoside sulfates and two new aromatic compound glycosides were obtained. Their structures, were clarified by spectral investigation.     

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography for fingerprint pattern recognition in cachaça production

Cacha?a samples were studied by means of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC/TOFMS) during the fermentation process and after ageing in different wood materials. The analyses of the aroma compounds were performed after headspace-solid phase microextraction method (HS-SPME) using an 85microm polyacrylate (PA) fibre. Fingerprint monitoring of the distillation process allowed the easy determination of the turning points of the process and high-resolution comparison of cabe?a (head), cora??o (core) and cauda (tail) fractions. The ageing process in different wood materials was well characterised through fingerprint similarity observations; in the absence of a suitable metric for expressing the overall similarity, here we use a visual and retention time comparison to identify co-incident peaks and those that differ between samples. For quality control purposes, a simple observation of the contour plots obtained can thus allow the identification of the type of wood used in the ageing process, and the process of ageing, without further statistical treatment or peak identifications. In this manner, peaks, which discriminated most between the different mixtures studied were readily found, i.e. unique compounds were identified in each stage of the distillation process. Approximate first dimension linear retention indices (LRI) for these identified compounds were calculated in a bi-dimensional polar/non-polar column set in the GCxGC experiment and were used in conjunction with mass spectral library searching for tentative identification. Along the progression of the distillation process, 70 compounds appear to visually discriminate between samples and their retention indices are indicated, presenting good correlation with literature data.     

Feasibility of two multidimensional techniques, heart-cut MDGC and GCxGC, for the separation of PCBs and PBDEs

The feasibility of heart-cut MDGC-ECD and GCxGC-muECD for the separation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been evaluated. Among the different column combinations tested, the best results were obtained when using either a DB-5 type or an HT-8 column as the first dimension combined with a mid-polar stationary phase (50% phenyl) as the second dimension. The co-elutions between the target PCBs and PBDEs in the first dimension were satisfactorily resolved once transferred to the second column. Repeatability and intermediate precision were satisfactory in both systems, considering retention times in both dimensions. Nevertheless, peak area/volume precision was better for heart-cut MDGC since software for the data analysis in the case of GCxGC was still under development. The need for multiple injections of the same extract on the heart-cut MDGC system was the main drawback since the analysis time it increased. GCxGC becomes then a valuable alternative able to achieve the same performance in one injection. However, the GCxGC data analysis is still very time-consuming and needs further development. The applicability of both separation techniques was shown using a human breast milk sample with low concentrations of PCBs (0.2-227 pg/g fresh weight) and PBDEs (1.2-41 pg/g fresh weight).     

Water-soluble constituents of Glehnia littoralis fruit

From the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of the fruit of Glehnia littoralis Fr. SCHMIDT ex MIQ. (Umbelliferae; "hamabofu" in Japanese), thirty compounds, including three new monoterpenoids and a new monoterpenoid glucoside, a new benzofuran glucoside, a new alkyl glucoside, and a new glucide, were obtained. Their structures were clarified by spectral investigation.     

Development of an algorithm for peak detection in comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography

A method for peak detection in two-dimensional chromatography is presented. The algorithm applies first the methods developed for peak detection in one-dimensional chromatography to detect peaks in one dimension. In a second step, a decision tree is applied to decide which one-dimensional peaks are originated from the same compound and have to be 'merged' into one two-dimensional peak. To this end, different features of the peaks (second-dimension peak regions and second-dimension retention times) are compared and different criteria (common peak regions, retention time differences, unimodality in the first dimension) are applied. Different options can be used, depending on the nature of the data. The user controls this decision tree by establishing several options and "switches". The algorithm was tested with GCxGC chromatograms obtained for a commercial air-freshener sample, detecting and merging the modulated peaks belonging to the same compound. Recommendations for the set of options and switches are given. A utility that calculates and sums peak areas from merged peaks is added to facilitate automated quantification. Although the algorithm was developed for GCxGC, its application to comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LCxLC) data should at most require minor modifications.     

Solid-Supported Synthesis of Bio-active Carvacrol Compounds Using Microwaves

The most abundant and potent natural products having a broad spectrum of biological activity against various pests are terpenoids, especially monoterpenoids. The chemical modification of natural monoterpenoids has been reported to result in modified biological activity. The present work emphasizes the structural modification of carvacrol, a phenolic monoterpenoid, through the synthesis of different ether and ester derivatives that are useful for structure–activity relationship studies to exploit the potent molecules. The carvacrol was reacted with alkyl halides and acid chlorides under microwaves using solid supports such as silica gel, alumina, and fly ash to give ethers and esters, respectively. The synthesis of dimeric ether and ester compounds using dihalides and acid dichlorides was conducted with novel reactions. Additional features of the methodology include very fast reactions, higher yields and purities of the products, and an ecofriendly approach.     

Targeted multidimensional gas chromatography for the quantitative analysis of suspected allergens in fragrance products

Two approaches are described and compared for the analysis of suspected allergens (SAs) in fragrance products, which are defined by the Scientific Committee of Cosmetics and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP). The first consists of a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) experiment using both a "conventional" non-polar/polar column combination and an "inverse" polar/non-polar column set. The second approach uses a targeted multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) system employing a Deans type pneumatic switch and a longitudinally modulated cryogenic system (LMCS). It was found that the conventional and inverse column sets complement each other well, providing identification of SAs present. Compounds well retained on the second dimension of one column set were the first to be eluted from the other. In some instances SAs co-eluting with matrix components on the second dimension for a given column set were clearly resolved on the other, although this has the disadvantage of requiring two analytical runs. Targeted MDGC with a non-polar/polar column set, successfully separated all SAs identified within a fragrance product. The instrument is set up in a similar fashion to a GCxGC system though with longer second dimension ((2)D) column, a cryogenic trap at the beginning of the second column, and a pneumatic switch coupling both columns. The data are easier to process than for a GCxGC experiment. The targeted MDGC method has the capacity to deliver far greater efficiency to targeted regions of a primary separation than a GCxGC experiment, whilst still maintaining overall run times similar to those of a conventional one-dimensional (1D) GC experiment. Cryogenic focussing at the beginning of the (2)D column delivers enhanced sensitivity, accurate (2)D retention times and narrow peak widths; these are responsible for an increased resolution obtained from the fast, relatively short ( approximately 5m) (2)D column. The two column set GCxGC analysis provided a quick and effective means to qualitatively determine the presence of six SAs in a commercially available air freshener, however all were not adequately resolved from matrix components. In contrast, quantitation was straightforward using the targeted MDGC method.     

Headspace solid-phase microextraction--comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography of wound induced plant volatile organic compound emissions

Plant emissions of volatile organic compounds from mechanically wounded Agrostis stolonifera, Pennisetum clandestinum, Eucalyptus leucoxylon and Trifolium repens have been sampled by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analysed by using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) for measurement of the plant emissions. GCxGC produces a fingerprint of the volatile organic compounds in a 2D separation space that may be approximately interpreted as a boiling point-polarity space, and may then be presented as a two-dimensional contour plot. This allows identification of sample-dependent variations in component distributions in the 2D plot, which will contain information about plant differences and should therefore facilitate recognition of different plant materials and displays the gross differences in volatiles between each plant species.     

稠油中饱和烃复杂混合物成分解析及其意义

利用两根极性不同的毛细柱,在全二维气相色谱上分析辽河油田遭受严重生物降解形成的稠油饱和烃组分,可以将传统色谱分析时形成的“基线鼓包”即不可分辨的复杂混合物（Unresolved Complex Mixtures）分开．根据饱和烃全二维气相色谱谱图的族分离特点和瓦片效应,结合飞行时间质谱提供的质谱信息初步解析不可分辨的复杂混合物主要成分．发现常规色谱分析时形成的所谓“基线鼓包”是由成千上万、含量相对较低的不同取代基的环状化合物组成,这些化合物在一维色谱上以分子量递增的顺序排列,在二维色谱上以极性的差异或者环的多少排列．C24之前的第一组不可分辨的复杂混合物主要由环己烷为基本单元的单环、双环和三环烷烃类化合物组成,信噪比在100以上的化合物数量约为饱和烃总数量的75％,质量分数是饱和烃总量的80％以上,是饱和烃的主要组成部分．C24之后出现的第二组不可分辨的复杂混合物主要由四个环或者五个环为基本单元的化合物组成,信噪比在100以上的化合物数量约为饱和烃总数量的17％,质量分数是饱和烃总量的0．5％．对稠油中这些不可分辨的复杂混合物的解析有助于对其成因机理的认识和高效开采方案的制定．     

Qualitative and quantitative study of nitrogen-containing compounds in heavy gas oil using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorus detection

In this work, a GCxGC-nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD) methodology was developed to separate and quantitate nitrogen-containing compounds in Brazilian heavy gas oil. First, the NPD performance was improved in order to achieve best GCxGC performance. The geometry of this detector was also evaluated. The use of an extended jet improved significantly the peak shape. The GCxGC separation was studied using both first and second dimension columns with different internal diameters. The use of a thicker film in both dimensions provided better performance. LODs of 0.16-8.49 pg of individual compounds were achieved. Two different extraction techniques of the neutral and basic nitrogen-containing compounds were also evaluated. The method using ion-exchange resins to separate neutral and basic nitrogen-containing compounds was more efficient than the method using modified silica. As an example, the amounts (microg/g) of each class reported were: indole (2.77), alkyl carbazoles ranging from C(0) to C(6+) (1.467), alkyl benzocarbazoles from C(0) to C(4+) (793), alkyl quinolines (31.2) and alkyl benzoquinolines (21.6) were quantitated.     

Analysis and antimicrobial activity of volatile constituents from Quercus leucotrichophora (Fagaceae) bark

The chemical composition of the volatile extract (yield ≈ 0.13%, v/w) from the bark of Quercus leucotrichophora (Fagaceae) was analysed for the first time by GC-MS. Twenty-three constituents, amounting to 93.0% of the total detected contents of the volatile extract, were identified. The volatile extract contained approximately 86.36% monoterpenoids, 6.53% sesquiterpenoids and 0.11% aliphatic aldehydes. 1,8-Cineol (40.359%) followed by γ-terpinene (16.369%) were the major monoterpene constituents of the volatile extract. The residue of volatile extract (0.00025-250 μg mL(-1)) exhibited a potent antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615. This study concludes that residues of the volatile extract of Q. leucotrichophora could serve as an important bioresource for the extraction and isolation of monoterpenoids exhibiting antimicrobial activity, and thus has good potential for use in the pharmaceutical industry.     

Analysis of organic compounds of water-in-crude oil emulsions separated by microwave heating using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry

In this work the higher peak capacity and resolution of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) has been successfully applied, for the first time, to tentatively identify several polar organic compounds of organic extracts of aqueous phases resulting from microwave demulsification process of water-in-crude oil emulsions. Results have shown that higher temperatures and longer exposure time to microwave irradiation produced water phases with a wider variety of polar organic compounds. The microwave process showed to be suitable for the extraction of several polar compounds classes of petroleum. The proposed microwave extraction method and GCxGC identification of polar compounds of petroleum samples are of practical interest for the petrochemical industry due to corrosion and related problems associated with these polar compounds in refinery equipments. The GCxGC/time-of-flight MS technique shows to be very important in the total separation of different classes of compounds and allows the identification of many compounds in these classes.     

Comparison of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and gas chromatography--mass spectrometry for the characterization of complex hydrocarbon mixtures

In this paper, we compare the current separation power of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) with the potential separation power of GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) systems. Using simulated data, we may envisage a GC-MS contour plot, that can be compared with a GCxGC chromatogram. Real examples are used to demonstrate the current potential of the two techniques in the field of hydrocarbon analysis. As a separation technique for complex hydrocarbon mixtures, GCxGC is currently about as powerful as GC-MS is potentially powerful. GC-MS has not reached its potential separation power in this area, because a universal, soft ionization method does not exist. The greatest advantage of GCxGC is, however, its potential for quantitative analysis. Because flame-ionisation detection can be used, quantitative analysis by GCxGC is much more robust, reliable and reproducible.     

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography: metrics,potentials, limits

Metrics for evaluation of separation performance of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) and for quantitative comparison of that performance with similar performance of its 1D (one-dimensional) counterparts are described. The performance improvement can be expressed via reduction in the saturation of a chromatogram or-in the case of the uniform distribution of peaks along the second dimension--via the peak capacity gain due to GCxGC. An order of magnitude peak capacity gain due to the comprehensive GCxGC is possible under optimal conditions. Optimal parameters of the second dimension column as well as the optimal operational conditions for that column and for the modulator in a comprehensive GCxGC are also presented.     

A new class of indole alkaloid ‘elegansamine’ constructed from a monoterpenoid indole alkaloid and an iridoid

Elegansamine (1) isolated from Gelsemium elegans (Thailand) was proved to be a new type of alkaloid composed by the carbon-carbon linkage of a monoterpenoid indole alkaloid and a monoterpene unit having the iridoid skeleton.     

Chiral recognition ability of alpha-cyclodextrin with regard to some monoterpenoids under gas-liquid chromatographic conditions

Gas-liquid chromatography was applied to investigate the mechanism of alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) complexation processes with some chiral monoterpenoids differing from each other in chemical properties and structure. They were chosen from hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes and ketones of acyclic, monocyclic and bicyclic structure. The relationships between the retention factor, k, of a guest solute (G) and alpha-CD concentration were studied. The obtained data enabled the stoichiometry, the stability of individual complexes and the separation factor of enantiomers to be determined. It was found that almost all the investigated monoterpenoids, apart from the acyclic ones, form inclusion complexes with alpha-CD. Straight-line relations (r vs. [alpha-CD]) were observed for monocyclic alcohols and pulegone, without any trace of enantioselectivity. This behaviour indicates that the 1:1 stoichiometry of the G-CD complexes does not lead to chiral recognition. Parabolic relations arising from 1:2 stoichiometry were found for limonene, alpha-phellandrene, some monocycylic ketones and all the investigated bicyclic terpenoids. It appeared that only the second step of complexation displayed marked enantioselectivity. However, a loss of efficiency resulting from slower equilibration is then noticeable. Attempts are made to rationalize the chromatographic results with respect to the structure of the investigated compounds.     

The First Synthesis of (4S,5R,6R)‐5,6‐Dihydroxy‐4‐(prop‐1‐en‐2‐yl)cyclohex‐1‐ene‐1‐carboxylic Acid

A putative acid metabolite of a novel highly effective antiparkinsonian agent, (4S,5R,6R)‐5,6‐dihydroxy‐4‐(prop‐1‐en‐2‐yl)cyclohex‐1‐ene‐1‐carboxylic acid ( 5 ), was synthesized for the first time. Several synthetic approaches based on different transformations of O‐bearing monoterpenoids of the pinane and p‐menthane series were developed and tested in the course of the study. Acid 5 was synthesized starting from a commercially available monoterpenoid, (?)‐verbenone, in a total yield of 4.4% over eight steps.     

Speciation of sulfur-containing compounds in diesel by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

Sulfur-containing compounds in diesel have been speciated by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) with a sulfur chemiluminescence detector (SCD). The advantages of GCxGC technique are higher resolution and greater sensitivity. GCxGC-SCD can achieve the class separation of sulfur-containing compounds with an appropriate separation column combination. The major classes of sulfur-containing compounds in diesel are benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes. Relative concentration of each class as well as each carbon number family can be quantitated by the summation of the integrated areas corresponding to the individual group(s) in the GCxGC space. In practical applications, GCxGC-SCD can be used to characterize different diesels and to reflect desulfurization process efficiency. In this study, GCxGC-SCD has demonstrated its value in speciation of sulfur-containing compounds classes, which is difficult to accomplish by any other single technique.