May 8th 2024
Scientists from the University of Messina recently developed a new omega-3 fatty acid-based supplement and tested its effectiveness on metabolism and lipid profiles.
Sampling Volatiles From Fragranced Consumer Products Using High-Capacity Sorptive Extraction
January 16th 2018This study describes the analysis of fragranced washing detergent and washing powder using probe-based headspace and immersive sorptive extraction, in conjunction with analysis by thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (TD–GC–MS). As well as discussing the differences between the two samples, the analyte ranges covered by headspace and immersive sampling are compared.
The Durian Tang: Investigating the World’s Smelliest Fruit
December 5th 2017The durian fruit is notorious for its unpalatable aroma, and yet the fruit is incredibly popular throughout Southeast Asia and amongst travellers. Holding the title of “the world’s smelliest fruit” attracts attention including that of Martin Steinhaus from the Aroma Research Group at the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Lebensmittelchemie (German Research Center for Food Chemistry). He spoke to The Column about his group’s research into the compounds responsible for the fruit’s uniquely unpleasant aroma.
The Recent Advances in Comprehensive Chromatographic Analysis of Emerging Drugs
December 1st 2017To address the challenges of analyzing new illicit drugs, emerging techniques such as UHPSFC with MS and UV detection, and GC with VUV detection, may be needed, particularly for distinguishing positional isomers and diastereomers.
Analyzing Chemical Secretions in Lizards Using GC–MS/MS
November 1st 2017The chemical messages that animals use to communicate can trigger a range of responses in members of the same species. The Column spoke to Jorge Saiz from the Centre of Metabolomics and Bioanalysis (CEMBIO) at the University San Pablo CEU, Spain, about his research into the chemical secretions of lizards and the role of gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) in his work.
Comparing the Separation Speed of Contemporary LC, SFC, and GC
June 1st 2017Some 50 years after Giddings’s iconic comparison of the separation speed of gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC), the authors revisit this comparison using kinetic plots of the current state‑of‑the-art systems in LC, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), and GC. It is found that, despite the major progress LC has made in the past decade (sub-2-µm particles, pressures up to 1500 bar, core–shell particles), a fully optimized ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) separation is still at least one order of magnitude slower than capillary GC. The speed limits of packed bed SFC are situated in between.
Improving GC Performance Systematically
March 1st 2017Gas chromatographers can control several variables that affect their separations: carrier-gas flow, column temperature, column dimensions, and stationary phase chemistry. When faced with less than optimum resolution or separation speed, a strategy of changing just one variable at a time can be more productive than trying to hit the goal in one attempt. This month's GC Connections examines how to use such a plan to obtain better GC results.
Gas Cylinder Safety, Part I: Hazards and Precautions
October 1st 2016Many gas chromatographers are not fully aware of safe practices for handling high-pressure gas cylinders. GC operators should be trained to properly transport, install, connect, and maintain their gas supplies, as well to deal with emergencies. In the first of a two-part series, this month’s GC Connections examines the principal hazards and safety issues surrounding the compressed gas cylinder. Next month’s installment will present safe procedures for routine cylinder use.
Coupling Gas Chromatography with Ion Mobility Spectrometry
May 20th 2016Chromatography connected with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is not commonly used, but is being investigated more. IMS is an independent analytical technique with very good detectability and a rather small separation ability. One favourable property of IMS is that it can work with ambient pressure and can be easily connected to a gas chromatograph. Analytical applications of GC–MS are very different and encompass investigations into food, medical science, environment, drugs of abuse, chemical warfare agents, and explosives.
How to Tackle an Unknown: Notes from the Fourth Method Development Olympics at CoSMoS
May 1st 2016Put yourself in their spot: How would you tackle analyzing a bag of gummy bears that showed up on your lab bench? Here, we offer some insights from the very capable finalists at The Conference on Small Molecule Science (CoSMoS), which was held in August 2015 in San Diego, California.