The submicro determination of carbon,hydrogen and nitrogen by a gas-chromatographic method

A method for the determination of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen in organic samples weighing 40–80 μg is described. The sample is decomposed conventionally in a helium stream and the water formed is converted to acetylene. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and acetylene are then separated on a silica-gel column, and the acetylene is burned to carbon dioxide by passage through copper oxide at 900° because the acetylene peak itself is not easily measured. Water from the second combustion is removed on silica gel and the three peaks emerging are measured by means of a micro thermistor cell. The standard deviations obtained for acetanilide are 0.31% for carbon, 0.28% for hydrogen and 0.11% for nitrogen. Results for other compounds are given and the parameters relevant to precision are discussed.