LCGC Europe-12-01-2013

In this instalment Ron Majors discusses new sample preparation media that could result in improved or even "breakaway" performance for solid–liquid extractions. Some of these sorbents are based on new novel bonded phases to existing media while others are based on new extraction phases, such as carbon on silica, other metal oxides, or polymeric media. With resulting new selectivities, sample preparation could be performed more quickly in fewer steps than typical of usual adsorbents

In this article, the sensitivity of two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to two different detectors - a time-offl ight mass spectrometer (GCXGC–TOF-MS) and a fl ame ionization detector (GC?GC–FID) - was compared to the sensitivity of conventional one-dimensional gas chromatography (GC–TOF-MS and GC–FID) by determining method detection limits (MDLs) for a series of different compounds with different polarities.

Why do some peaks front and others don't in the same method?

There are many "minor" variables in GC–MS analysis that can be optimized to improve selectivity or sensitivity. Knowing how to manually optimize the detector settings leads to better quality data.

A review of the latest trends in field-flow fractionation (FFF) for various types of polymer analysis.

Click the title above to open the LCGC Europe December 2013 regular issue, Vol 26 No 12, in an interactive PDF format.