What is it about?
Usually gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is limited to compounds with up to around 40 carbon atoms (ca. 500 Daltons). Here we assembled a system capable of analysing compounds with up to >C80 carbon atoms (>1400 Daltons), thereby considerably extending the analytical window. We provide various examples, including n-alkanes, triacylglycerides, synthetic acid polymers, long-chain wax esters, glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers, and porphyrins.
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Why is it important?
Compounds that are beyond the window for analysis using more traditional GC-MS set-ups, and were simply not detected previously, can now be analysed.
Perspectives
Anecdotally, it was rather exciting when Ian (Markes International Ltd) and I set fire to the GC whilst carrying out preliminary experiments linking the ToF to the GC, fortunately a fire extinguisher was to hand. The idea for this work came about when a vendor was extolling the capabilities of their mass spectrometer, and we realised what could be possible.
Dr Paul A Sutton
University of Plymouth
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: High temperature gas chromatography–time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (HTGC–ToF-MS) for high-boiling compounds, Journal of Chromatography A, June 2012, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2012.04.044.
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