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Flow‐modulated targeted signal enhancement for volatile organic compounds
Author(s) -
Hayward Taylor,
Gras Ronda,
Luong Jim
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of separation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.72
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1615-9314
pISSN - 1615-9306
DOI - 10.1002/jssc.201600054
Subject(s) - analyte , flame ionization detector , detector , signal (programming language) , modulation (music) , analytical chemistry (journal) , volumetric flow rate , two dimensional gas , gas chromatography , chromatography , ionization , flow (mathematics) , chemistry , materials science , optics , mechanics , physics , ion , organic chemistry , computer science , acoustics , programming language
Comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography is a technique that is becoming more widespread within the analytical community, especially in the separation of complex mixtures. Modulation in comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography can be achieved by manipulating temperature or flow and offers many advantages such as increased separation power, but one underutilized advantage is increased detectability due to the reduction of peak width from the use of a modulator. A flow modulator was used to selectively target analytes for increased detectability with a standard flame ionization detector operated at 100 Hz, without the need for cryogens or advanced modulation software. By the collection of the entire peak volume followed by peak transfer rather than further separation, an increase of 12 times in peak height and detectability was realized for the analytes tested using an internal loop modulator configuration. An external loop flow modulator configuration allowed for more volatile analytes (with k < 5), and demonstrated an analyte detectability enhancement factor of at least 6. The collection loop size can be readily increased with an external loop configuration to accommodate for these naturally broader peaks. This novel flow modulated targeted signal enhancement approach was applied to industrially significant analyses like the analysis of methanol in a hydrocarbon streams. Methanol was detected at 7 ppb with a conventional flame ionization detector and without the need for pre‐concentration.