Determination of acetaldehyde in tobacco smoke using N-methyl-4-hydrazino-7-nitrobenzofurazan and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method for the determination of carbonyl compounds based on derivatization with N-methyl-4-hydrazino-7-nitrobenzofurazan (MNBDH) has been developed. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in the positive mode proved the most versatile ionization technique for MNBD-hydrazones. APCI/MS spectra were recorded and the detection limits were determined for M+H]⁺. ¹³C₂ acetaldehyde MNBD-hydrazone has been synthesized and characterized. It is applied as internal standard for the quantification of acetaldehyde. Tobacco smoke has been investigated concerning its carbonyl content. Acetaldehyde was identified as main product and quantified by LC/MS using internal standardization. The result is in good agreement to quantification data obtained with UV/vis detection.