GC-FTIR

Gas chromatography-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (gc-ftir)... 

Gc/ftir has both industrial and environmental appHcations. The flavor and aroma components in fragrances, flavorings, and foodstuffs can be identified and quantified via gc/ftir (see Food additives). Volatile contaminants in air, water, and soil can be analy2ed. Those in air are usually trapped in a sorption tube then injected into the chromatograph. Those in water or soil are sparged, extracted, or thermally desorbed, then trapped and injected (63,64). 

Mixtures can be identified with the help of computer software that subtracts the spectra of pure compounds from that of the sample. For complex mixtures, fractionation may be needed as part of the analysis. Commercial instmments are available that combine ftir, as a detector, with a separation technique such as gas chromatography (gc), high performance Hquid chromatography (hplc), or supercritical fluid chromatography (96,97). Instmments such as gc/ftir are often termed hyphenated instmments (98). Pyrolyzer (99) and thermogravimetric analysis (tga) instmmentation can also be combined with ftir for monitoring pyrolysis and oxidation processes (100) (see Analytical methods, hyphenated instruments). 

The high degree of sensitivity, selectivity, and efficiency of gas chromatography allows the elucidation of a complete profile of the volatile components of distilled spirits. The wide selection of chromatographic columns and techniques, such as gc-ms, gc-ftir, and gc-ms-ftir, has allowed the chemist to routinely identify and quantify individual constituents on a parts-per-biUion level. The two most critical variables in the analysis of volatile components of distilled spirits by gas chromatography are the selection of a suitable chromatographic column and of the most appropriate detector. 

Identification of stmctures of toxic chemicals in environmental samples requires to use modern analytical methods, such as gas chromatography (GC) with element selective detectors (NPD, FPD, AED), capillary electrophoresis (CE) for screening purposes, gas chromatography/mass-spectrometry (GC/MS), gas chromatography / Fourier transform infra red spectrometry (GC/FTIR), nucleai magnetic resonance (NMR), etc. 

Before the advent of modern hyphenated techniques (GC/HS, GC/FTIR), numerous qualitative physical and chemical tests were devised for the identification of peaks in a gas chromatograa [705]. For the most part these tests were simple to perform, inexpensive, required minimum instrument modification and, in a few instances, provided a simple and easy solution to an otherwise complex problem. They still have some value today as spectroscopic techniques do not solve.all problems. 

Figure 9.8 Schematic diagram of an integrated GC/FTIR system with a lightpipe interface.

GC-FTIR, GC-AED, GC-ICP-MS, cf. Chapter 7), fast GC separations (1996) and most recently the development of sophisticated injectors with temperatureprogramming capability and high-resolution systems (GC-ToFMS). As a result, modem GC systems are quite advanced (Scheme 4.3) and GC is one of the most widely applied instrumental techniques. 

FTIR instrumentation is mature. A typical routine mid-IR spectrometer has KBr optics, best resolution of around 1cm-1, and a room temperature DTGS detector. Noise levels below 0.1 % T peak-to-peak can be achieved in a few seconds. The sample compartment will accommodate a variety of sampling accessories such as those for ATR (attenuated total reflection) and diffuse reflection. At present, IR spectra can be obtained with fast and very fast FTIR interferometers with microscopes, in reflection and microreflection, in diffusion, at very low or very high temperatures, in dilute solutions, etc. Hyphenated IR techniques such as PyFTIR, TG-FTIR, GC-FTIR, HPLC-FTIR and SEC-FTIR (Chapter 7) can simplify many problems and streamline the selection process by doing multiple analyses with one sampling. Solvent absorbance limits flow-through IR spectroscopy cells so as to make them impractical for polymer analysis. Advanced FTIR... 

On-line SFE-GC finds use especially in petroleum-related applications [54], but has also been applied to polymer additives [47,55]. PBT polymers were extracted at 200 bar and 55 °C for the determination of carbonic acid diphenyl esters and other volatiles, using on-line SFE-GC-MS [47]. Extraction of entrained volatiles is a quality test for some polymers. SFE-GC-FTIR-MS has been employed to reveal the cause of odour of a smelly hose (a plasticiser) [56]. SFE-GC can also profitably be used for the determination of residual solvents in polymers such as benzene, toluene and o-xylene [57]. Oligomers of PE (up to 1000 Da) were determined by GC after supercritical fluid extraction [58]. 

The success of spectral identification depends on the appropriate reference spectra for comparison. IR measurement of eluates that are at slightly subambient temperature is advantageous considering that the large databases of condensed-state spectra may be searched. Spectra measured by matrix-isolation GC-FTIR have characteristically narrow bandwidths compared with the spectra of samples in the condensed phase near ambient temperature or in the gas phase. In addition, the relative intensities of bands in the spectra of matrix-isolated samples often change compared with either gas- or condensed-phase spectra [195]. GC-FTIR spectra obtained by direct deposition match well with the corresponding reference spectra in standard phase... 

KBr) databases. Quantitative analysis by GC-FUR is complicated by many uncertainties associated with both the chromatography and spectroscopy [196]. Bulk property detectors (e.g. TCD, FID, etc.) can be used for quantitative analysis when mixture components are known, but provide little structural information for unknown mixture components. Both integrated absorbance and Gram-Schmidt vector methods have been used for the quantitative analysis of mixture components in GC-FTIR. 

In chromatography-FTIR applications, in most instances, IR spectroscopy alone cannot provide unequivocal mixture-component identification. For this reason, chromatography-FTIR results are often combined with retention indices or mass-spectral analysis to improve structure assignments. In GC-FTIR instrumentation the capillary column terminates directly at the light-pipe entrance, and the flow is returned to the GC oven to allow in-line detection by FID or MS. Recently, a multihyphenated system consisting of a GC, combined with a cryostatic interfaced FT1R spectrometer and FID detector, and a mass spectrometer, has been described [197]. Obviously, GC-FTIR-MS is a versatile complex mixture analysis technique that can provide unequivocal and unambiguous compound identification [198,199]. Actually, on-line GC-IR, with... 

Table 7.25 Main characteristics of GC-FTIR coupling Advantages...

There is a need for increased chromatography-FTIR sensitivity to extend IR analysis to trace mixture components. GC-FTIR-MS was prospected as the method of choice for volatile complex mixture analysis [167]. HPLC-FT1R, SFC-FTIR and TLC-FTIR are not as sensitive as GC-FTIR, but are more appropriate for analyses involving nonvolatile mixture components. Although GC-FTIR is one of the most developed and practised techniques which combine chromatography (GC, SFC, HPLC, SEC, TLC) and FUR, it does not find wide use for polymer/additive analysis, in contrast to HPLC-FTIR. 

In addition to standard liquid injection there are many GC accessories which can provide different methods of sample introduction to the column, such as HS, SPE, SFE, TD, TG, Py, etc. Examples of such GC-FTIR devices are TD-GC-FT1R (with a cryostat interface) and PyGC-FTIR. 

Standard practices for GC-IR analysis have been described (ASTM E 1642-94). Griffiths [200] has discussed GC-FTIR designs. Sample preparation methods for hyphenated infrared techniques, in particular GC-FTIR, have been reported [201]. The technique has been reviewed repeatedly [167,183,201-204] a monograph [205] has appeared. 

Applications Off-line GC-FTIR using a trap device has been used for the determination of a wide range of polymer additives (with highest boiling constituents below 250 °C) in amounts down to 0.01 % with an accuracy of 5 to 10% [207]. According to Haslam el al. 208], the... 

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