Evaluation of the analyses of tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives of naphthenic acids by gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry.
Naphthenic acids are a complex mixture of carboxylic acids with the general formula CnH(2n+Z)O2 and they are natural, toxic components of crude oils. GC-MS analyses of tert-butyldimethylsilyl esters of naphthenic acids are used to estimate component distribution within naphthenic acids mixtures. Our evaluations of the GC-MS method showed that ions from column bleed erroneously appear as C14 Z = -4 acids and that correcting for heavy isotopes of C and Si do not significantly affect ion distribution plots. Overall, the GC-MS method appears to overestimate the relative proportion of low-molecular-mass acids.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta., Canada T6G 2E9.
Joyce S
JS
Clemente
Phillip M
PM
Fedorak
D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds; C009660:t-butyldimethylsilyl compounds; C046170:naphthenic acid