Column: GC Connections

"GC Connections” keeps readers up to date on the latest in methods, techniques, technologies, and best practices for gas chromatography. Columnist Nicholas H. Snow is the founding endowed professor of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Seton Hall University. He is interested in the fundamentals and applications of separation science, especially gas chromatography, sampling, and sample preparation for chemical analysis. His research group is very active, with ongoing projects using GC, GC–MS, two-dimensional GC, and extraction methods including headspace, liquid–liquid extraction, and solid-phase microextraction.

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Remember Harold McNair: Three Fundamental Areas of Understanding in Gas Chromatography

September 01, 2021

The late Harold McNair had a remarkable 60-year career as a chromatographer. He taught us many valuable lessons, three of which we discuss here.

Capillary Gas Chromatography (GC): Getting the Best Separation Without Turning (Too Many) Wrenches

August 01, 2021

How far can you get on optimizing a GC separation without changing the column? Pretty far, in fact.

Hard-Won Lessons in Gas Chromatography

July 01, 2021

At ChromTalks, experienced speakers shared mistakes made during their careers.

Going Low: Understanding Limit of Detection in Gas Chromatography (GC)

May 01, 2021

The limit of detection (LOD) of an analytical method may be defined as the smallest concentration of analyte that has a signal significantly greater than that of a blank sample signal. We explore the sources of experimental uncertainty and variability in LOD determinations.

New Gas Chromatography Products for 2020–2021

April 07, 2021

We present our annual review of new products in gas chromatography, introduced between spring 2020 and spring 2021.

Let’s Get Small: Powerful Gas Chromatography in Small Packages

March 01, 2021

Capillary GC has been miniaturized, while maintaining some performance aspects of full-size laboratory systems. The benefits and challenges involved with considering these newer, smaller gas chromatographs for typical analytical problems are discussed.

Flying High with Sensitivity and Selectivity: GC–MS to GC–MS/MS

February 01, 2021

By moving from GC–MS to GC–MS/MS, you can have both universal and selective detection along with low detection limits. Here’s how it works.

What Chromatograms Can Teach Us About Our Analytes

January 01, 2021

For GC, how do data systems both assist and hinder us in obtaining maximum information from chromatograms? We explain how a chromatogram can provide a wealth of information about an individual analyte in a sample, about the sample itself, and about how well a GC instrument is performing.

How Can We Run a Gas Chromatograph from Anywhere?

November 01, 2020

Computers control all aspects of modern GC instrument operation, from temperature to valve actuation. We look under the hood to see how this works.

From Detector to Decision: How Does the GC Instrument Generate Your Data?

September 01, 2020

Using the flame ionization detector (FID) as an example, we explain how the detector in a GC system generates a signal and how it is processed into chromatograms, and explore modern aspects of storing and processing digital data.