title: Analysis of Titan tholin pyrolysis products by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: The reddish brown haze that surrounds Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is thought to consist of tholin-like organic aerosols. Tholins are complex materials of largely unknown structure. The very high peak capacity and structured chromatograms obtained from comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GC x GC) are attractive attributes for the characterization of tholin pyrolysis products. In this report, GC x GC with time-of-flight MS detection and a flash pyrolysis inlet is used to characterize tholin pyrolysis products. Identified pyrolysis products include low-molecular-weight nitriles, alkyl substituted pyrroles, linear and branched hydrocarbons, alkyl-substituted benzenes and PAH compounds. The pyrolysis of standards found in tholin pyrolysate showed that little alteration occurred and thus these structures are likely present in the tholin material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, The University of Michigan, USA. mmcguiga@umich.edu <mmcguiga@umich.edu>
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGuigan
authors.forename: J Hunter
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Waite
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imanaka
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sacks
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D018539:Saturn
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D009930:Organic Chemicals