Detection of C,H, N,and O in capillary gas chromatography by atomic emission

Using a new atomic emission detector for gas chromatography, the quantitative and qualitative aspects of selective elemental detection of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen were investigated. Sensitivity, precision, degree of tailing, and response variation between compounds are reported for capillary applications. Earlier atomic emission detectors reported poor sensitivity and selectivity for the analysis of oxygen. These problems have been greatly reduced due to lower interactions between elements in the sample and the silica wall of the water-cooled discharge tube. Using near-optimal sample amounts and chromatographic conditions, area precision was found to be very good with little variation in response factors among different compounds. For the compounds tested, response factors varied over a span of 2% to 3% for carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, and over 7% for oxygen. For quantitative analysis, area ratios were calibrated directly from the area ratios of two elements of an internal standard, and yielded better precision and compound independence than the individual calibrated response of each element. Empirical formulas were calcualted using one peak as a qualitative internal standard. Unambiguous formulas were determined for some, but not all, of the compounds tested. Further increases in precision and/or compound independence is needed before empirical formula determination can be used as a routine tool.