SEC-Reversed Phase LC Applications

When columns of the same polarity are used, the elution order of components in GC are not changed and there is no need for trapping. However, when columns of different polarities are used trapping or heart-cutting must be employed. Trapping can be used in trace analysis for enrichment of samples by repetitive preseparation before the main separation is initiated and the total amount or part of a mixture can then be effectively and quantitatively transferred to a second column. The main considerations for a trap are that it should attain either very high or very low temperatures over a short period of time and be chemically inactive. The enrichment is usually carried out with a cold trap, plus an open vent after this, where the trace components are held within the trap and the excess carrier gas is vented. Then, in the re-injection mode the vent behind the trap is closed, the trap is heated and the trapped compounds can be rapidly flushed from the trap and introduced into the second column. Peak broadening and peak distortion, which could occur in the preseparation, are suppressed or eliminated by this re-injection procedure (18). 

Heart-cutting, with trapping and re-injection, using isothermal dual capillary column chromatography for separation of the UV photolysis products of methyl 

Multi-column switching can be an effective approach for the determination of high and low concentrations of sample components in complex mixtures. This is a very powerful technique for the analytical and preparative separation of components 

This multi-column swithching (GC-GC) technique has also been shown to be a powerful method for the separation of benzene and 1-methyl-cyclopentane in gasoline, as well as for the analysis of m-and p-xylcncs in ethylbenzene. 

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