Ask the Editor: Preparative GC Applications

An LCGC reader recently submitted the following question:

What are some examples of preparative GC applications?

According to R.P.W. Scott in Gas Chromatography (1), “[t]here are a number of unique problems associated with preparative gas chromatography. Firstly, it is difficult to recycle the mobile phase and thus large volume of gas are necessary. Secondly, the sample must be fully vaporized onto the column to ensure radial distribution of the sample across the column. Thirdly, the materials of interest are eluted largely in a very dilute form from the column and therefore must be extracted or condensed from the gas stream which is also difficult to achieve efficiently.”

Preparative GC has been used for a variety of applications, including odorants in white wine (2), amino acids in tissue hydrolysates (3), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (4), cockroach sex pheromone (5), and essential oil constituents (6).

(1) R.P.W. Scott, Gas Chromatography, http://www.chromatography-online.org/GC/Preparative-Gas-Chromatography/rs60.html.

(2) H. Shiratsuchi, and H. Matsusaki, Aroma Research 6(2) 188–194 (2005).

(3) K. Smith, C.M. Scrimgeour, W.M. Bennet, and M.J. Rennie, Biol. Mass Spec. 17(4), 267–273 (1988).

(4) M. Mandalakis and Ö. Gustafsson, J. Chromatography A 996(1-2), 163–172 (2003).

(5) S. Nojima, C. Schal, F.X. Webster, R.G. Santangelo, and W.L. Roelofs, Science 307(5712), 1104–1106 (2005).

(6) M. Mekem Sonwa and W.A. König, Phytochemistry 56(4), 321–326 (2001).

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