Complex Mixture Analysis by Capillary-to-Capillary Column Heartcutting GC/MS

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Abstract
Typically, chromatographic techniques for separating and quantitating components in complex mixtures often involve lengthy and difficult sample preparation procedures, are subject to sample loss inaccuracies, and frequently fail to resolve all components. The complexity of samples such as tobacco smoke requires greater resolution than capillary gas chromatography provides. Considerable progress has been made recently in two-dimensional gas chromatography. The present work demonstrates the utility of a state-of-the-art capillary-to-capillary column heartcutting gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer to increase resolution of selected components, minimize sample losses, and reduce sample preparation and methods development time. The technique provides superior separation of selected components and improved identification and quantitation as well as a reduction in overall analysis time. The mass spectra are also indicative of purer compounds with an improvement in the ease of identification via computer library searching.