Pheromones in Nanogram Quantities: Structure Determination by Combined Microchemical and Gas Chromatographic Methods [New Analytical Methods (35)]

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
What can a chemist do with a few nanograms of valuable organic substance, pure or impure? The answer may be, a great deal. Its components may be quantified, separated, isolated, degraded, derivatized, extracted by solvent partition, as well as the more obvious recording of their mass spectra. Provided a substance is not contaminated by large quantities of solvent, manipulations are possible without much loss or dilution. Necessity is the mother of invention. The examples given in this review show what can be accomplished today in nanochemistry and should act as a stimulus to direct the scientist to discover other applications appropriate to his needs and his circumstances. The examples are largely taken from the field of insect chemistry, but their general applicability is emphasized. This review illustrates how gas chromatography and reaction gas chromatography, alone or combined with mass spectrometry are potent tools in the hands of the chemist to deduce the unique structure of volatile organic substances available only in nanogram quantities.