title: Optimization of a preparative capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system for the isolation and harvesting of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
abstract: Operation parameters of a preparative capillary gas chromatography (pcGC) system were optimized to facilitate clean and efficient harvesting of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for subsequent compound-specific radiocarbon analysis. For PAHs, the recommended optimized settings of the specially-designed pcGC cooled injection system (CIS) and preparative fraction collector (PFC) are: 5 s CIS solvent venting time, deactivation of CIS "stop flow" injection mode, autoinjector "fast injection" mode, 60 s CIS splitless time, 340 degrees C PFC switch temperature, and 30 degrees C (ambient) trapping temperature. These optimized conditions yielded highly reproducible, pure, and efficient pcGC harvesting of six PAHs with mass recoveries of 90-100% and purity of the isolates of 97-100%.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Environmental Research (ITM), Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandalakis
authors.forename: Orjan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
mesh_terms: D017022:Flow Injection Analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012997:Solvents; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012997:Solvents