Gas Chromatography (GC)

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In honor of LCGC's celebration of 30 years covering the latest developments in separation science, we asked a panel of experts (listed in the sidebar) to assess the current state of the art of gas chromatography (GC) instrumentation and to try to predict how the technology will develop in the future.

In this instalment John V. Hinshaw reviews gas chromatography instruments and accessories that were newly presented at Pittcon 2012 or were introduced to the marketplace in the preceding year.

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Hyphenated approaches to analysis have received much attention over the last three decades to the extent that techniques such as GC?MS, GC?FTIR and LC?MS have ? in the relevant fields ? become indispensable parts of the analyst?s arsenal. This concept has been extended to include multi-hyphenated techniques, where the chromatography is preceded by analyte extraction from a sample matrix. In the field of GC?MS, examples include thermal, sorptive or headspace extraction, with subsequent preconcentration, for instance, by thermal desorption (TD).

This article looks at selectivity throughout the whole sample analysis cycle from the sampling stage, through sample preparation, sample introduction, analyte separation, analyte detection, data analysis and report generation.

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Market Profile: GC‒MS

Gas chromatography?mass spectrometry (GC?MS) combines a gas chromatographic front-end separation with a mass spectrometer. For the most part, the gas chromatographs and mass spectrometers used are modular in design and relatively easily separable. GC?MS is the most widespread tandem technique in the analytical instrumentation industry, which are employed across many different industries, particularly for environmental, chemical and toxicological applications.

Addresses some of the details of static HSGC theory and practice for conventional liquid-phase headspace samples to better understand and control the analytical processes.