title: Combined use of gas chromatography and selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry for absolute trace gas quantification.
abstract: The value of the gas chromatography (GC) and selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) combination for the analysis of trace gases is demonstrated by the quantification of acetone in air samples using the three precursor ions available to SIFT-MS, viz. H3O+, NO+ and O2+, and by the separation of the isomers 1-propanol and 2-propanol, and their analysis using H3O+ precursor ions. It is shown that the GC/SIFT-MS combination allows for accurate trace gas quantification obviating the regular, time-consuming calibrations that are usually required for the more commonly used detectors of GC systems, and the positive identification of isomers in mixtures that is often challenging using SIFT-MS alone. Thus, the GC/SIFT-MS combination paves the way to more confident analyses of complex mixtures such as exhaled breath.
authors.affiliation: J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejskova 3, 182 23 Prague 8, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kubista
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spanel
authors.forename: Kseniya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dryahina
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Workman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith