| Abstract: | The use of multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) for the analysis of essential oils is gaining in importance. A rarely used application consists in the enrichment of minor components through a MDGC system provided with a cold trap between trap column and analytical column. Under suitable conditions, in fact, the cold-trap can store a trapped compound (or a fraction) for a long time. Consequently, the same fraction can be heart-cut from several successive chromatographic runs on the first column and stored together in order to accumulate trace compounds; afterwards the accumulated fraction can be injected in the analytical column. The possibilities of this technique will illustrated through some examples of analysis of complex essential oils. |
