An automated large volume on-column injection technique for capillary gas chromatography

Automated large volume (25-200 μl) on-column injections into a gas chromatograph with a capillary column were successfully performed by coupling a retention gap technique with an air actuated rotary valve. The linearity, injection precision, and carryover were evaluated. Slight boiling point discrimination was observed. This technique is compatible with commonly used chromatographic detectors (FID, ECD, MS) and conditions, while requiring very little instrument modification. The work is directed at the eventual reduction of manpower and turnaround time for sample collection and extraction, and Kuderna-Danish concentration when dealing with methods similar to EPA 625.     

Concurrent solvent recondensation large sample volume splitless injection

Concurrent Solvent Recondensation Large Sample Volume (CRS‐LV) splitless injection overcomes the limitation of the maximum sample volume to 1–2 μL valid for classical splitless injection. It is based on control of the evaporation rate in the vaporizing chamber, utilization of a strong pressure increase in the injector resulting from solvent evaporation, and greatly accelerated transfer of the sample vapors from the injector into the inlet of an uncoated precolumn by recondensation of the solvent. The sample vapors are transferred into the column as rapidly as they are formed in the injector (concurrent transfer). 20–50 μL of liquid sample is injected with liquid band formation. The sample liquid is received by a small packing of deactivated glass wool positioned slightly above the column entrance at the bottom of the vaporizing chamber. Solvent evaporation strongly increases the pressure in the injector (auto pressure surge), provided the septum purge outlet is closed and the accessible volumes around the vaporizing chamber are small, driving the first vapors into the precolumn. Transfer continues to be fast because of recondensation of the solvent, obtained by keeping the oven temperature below the pressure‐corrected solvent boiling point. The uncoated precolumn must have sufficient capacity to retain most of the sample as a liquid. The experimental data show virtually complete absence of discrimination of volatile or high boiling components as well as high reproducibility.     

Solute focusing technique for on-column injection in capillary gas chromatography

A novel solute focusing technique for on-column injection of liquid samples onto capillary GC columns is described. The focusing technique allows injection of 8.0 microliters or more of sample without producing the peak distortion or splitting observed under conventional on-column injection conditions. The experimentally determined performance of the technique is given for a wide volatility range sample. Solute focusing is useful in situations where on-column injection of 1.0 microliter or greater is required.     

Increased on-column injection temperature for gas chromatography

A way of controlling the maximum allowable oven temperature during on-column injection by the column pressure drop is suggested. An arrangement using a restriction at the column outlet for adjustment of the column inlet pressure while maintaining the same column flow has been studied. Compared to non-restricted flow, substantially increased maximum oven temperatures were obtained during on-column injection. Injections at elevated temperatures resulted in an increased speed of analysis and decreased solute adsorption on the surface of the contaminated retention gap. The method is generally applicable to analysis of high boiling mixtures. In particular, with GC-AED, such an arrangement yields a higher sensitivity due to an increased solute interaction with the excitation plasma.     

Evaluation of automated and manual hot-splitless,cold-splitless (PTV), and on-column injection technique using capillary gas chromatography for the analysis of organophosphorus pesticides

Three different injection modes were compared for the analysis of organophosphorus pesticides. Differing results were found for several compounds depending on their chemical structure and thermostability. The programmed temperature vaporizing injector used in this study seemed to be the most promising sampling device for pesticide residue analysis in biological samples.     

Direct injection of large sample volumes into capillary columns with packed column injector

A direct injection method for large volume samples which avoids severe tailing of the solvent peak has been developed using a packed column injector (up to 100 μl) leading into an ordinary capillary column (0.3 mm i.d.). Modifications are made to the cooler zones of the inlet port and on the carrier gas flow control system. This injection technique is based on the effective use of phase soaking and cold trapping using a retention gap. The large volume of solvent vapor is rapidly purged out of the injector with a higher flow of carrier gas while the solutes trapped at the head of the column are subsequently analyzed with another optimum flow rate. The proposed carrier gas flow regulation system is also compared with conventional split/splitless injection methods.     

Determination of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples using large volume on-column injection capillary gas chromatography

An automated large volume on-column injection technique for capillary gas chromatography (GC) with solvent divert and heated retention gap technology has been utilized to determine polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in samples of industrial plant process water. Injecting large sample volumes on-column enabled the sample preparation procedure to be simplified and provided a fast, labor-saving technique for screening water samples. Diverting approximately 95% of the solvent away from the analytical column and the detector enabled chromatography to reflect classical capillary loading and detector conditions. Simplifications include significant reduction of sample and eluent volumes used during extraction and the elimination of Kuderna-Danish evaporative concentration. System performance, such as linearity and limit of detection, were evaluated for selected PAHs. Spiked water samples were prepared in the lower μ/L range to determine extraction efficiency. Results are compared with those obtained by a reputable contract laboratory following EPA Method 625.     

Determination of the calcium entry blocker verapamil in plasma by capillary gas chromatography with on-column injection

A specific, sensitive, and accurate assay for quantitation of verapamil has been developed. The method involves a single extraction step with n-heptane, followed by evaporation at room temperature under nitrogen. 0.1 μl of the extract was injected into a capillary column coated with crosslinked 5% phenylmethylsilicone. The column separated verapamil, norverapamil, and its internal standard within 15 minutes using temperature programming from 90 to 290°C. The lower limit of detection was 1 ng/ml for verapamil. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range (5–300 ng/ml). Plasma concentration data from dogs receiving intravenous verapamil infusion are presented.     

On-line combination of liquid chromatography and capillary gas chromatography. Preconcentration and analysis of organic compounds in aqueous samples

This paper describes the design of a new, versatile, and low-cost on-line LC-GC interface that allows the fast and reliable introduction of large sample volumes onto a capillary GC column. The sample introduction procedure consists successively of: evaporation of the entire sample (LC fraction), selective removal of the solvent and simultaneously cold-trapping of the solutes, splitless transfer of the solutes to the GC column, on-column focusing, GC separation and detection. Quantitative and qualitative aspects of various experimental parameters are evaluated and optimum conditions are reported. The applicability of the method is demonstrated on a synthetic aqueous sample of chlorinated pesticides.     

Injection temperature effects using On-column and split sampling in capillary gas chromatography

The effect of sample injection temperature on quantitation is examined for on-column and conventional split modes of sampling in capillary gas chromatography. Discrimination effects can be observed even with on-column injection if the injection temperature is too far above the boiling point of the solvent (or that of a major low boiling constituent(. This is attributed to higher boiling components being left behind in the syringe needle, and a set of simulation experiments are described to illustrate this effect. Various discrimination patterns using conventional split injection were observed, depending on temperature of injection. Apart from syringe needle effects, discrimination is probably due to the preferential venting of higher boiling components as liquid sample droplets, which can have a lifetime greater than the time of transit to the splitter. With such a two-phase system, involving variable droplet size, the flow distribution in the splitter will be critical to uniform sampling. The use of combination on-column/split sampling, with the appropriate temperature control to provide sample uniformity to the splitter is discussed as an advantageous alternative to conventional split sampling.     

Determination of triazine herbicides by capillary gas chromatography with large-volume on-column injection

Summary This paper describes a study of the potential of large-volume on-column injection for the determination of triazine herbicides in clean water samples (ground-water). The sensitivity of chromatographic determination has been increased by two orders of magnitude by injection of up to 200 μL of pesticide solutions and nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Analytical characteristics expressed as precision, linear range and limit of detection have been determined, the results indicating adequate analytical performance and the ruggedness of the injection technique. As an application, gas chromatography with large-volume on-column injection and nitrogen-phosphorus detection was combined with off-line liquid-liquid micro-extraction with hexane (1 mL water/1 mL hexane). The procedure was applied to spiked groundwater samples at two concentration levels (1 and 10 μg L⁻¹) with good recoveries (between 81 and 103%, except for deethylatrazine) and repeatability (better than 15% at the 1 μg L⁻¹ level). Limits of detection of the triazine herbicides studied ranged from 0.08 to 0.16 μgL⁻¹.     

Determination of chlorinated and brominated micropollutants by capillary gas chromatography coupled with on-column radio frequency plasma atomic emission detection

Capillary gas chromatography (GC) combined with on-column radio frequency plasma atomic emission detection was evaluated for the determination of polychlorinated and polybrominated biphenyls (PCBs and PBBs). Quantitation was possible utilizing a single chlorine or bromine calibration curve based on a randomly selected reference compound, because the signal per ng of halogen ranged within 17 % for 29 congeners. Combined with an internal standard to correct for potential plasma quenching from matrix components, this type of universal quantitation represented a sub-stantial simplification of current calibration procedures. In combi-nation with relatively low detection limits (1–5 pg/s of halogen), the present work suggested that GC, coupled with on-column atomic emission detection is a promising technique for the determination of halogenated micropollutants.     

Analysis of antiepileptic drugs by capillary gas chromatography with on-column injection

A simple and quick gas chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of up to six commonly used antiepileptic drugs in human serum. The antiepileptics are isolated from serum by solid phase extraction on to a reversed phase sorbent and recovered with ethyl acetate as eluent. The ethyl acetate eluate is suitable for direct on-column injection on to a phenyl methyl siloxane capillary column; hydrogen is used as carrier gas and the compounds are separated with a two-ramp temperature program. Detection is by FID. The reproducibility of the method varies between 2 and 6% RSD, depending on the drug and the level analyzed; limits of detection were found to be 14–51 pg and minimum assayed concentrations in serum were between 14 and 51 ng/ml.