title: Development of a new consumable-free thermal modulator for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography.
abstract: A simple and cost-effective GC×GC modulator requiring no moving parts or consumables, hence suitable for field analysis and monitoring, was developed. The modulator was constructed from a specially designed Silcosteel® trapping capillary, installed outside the GC oven, and coated inside with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stationary phase. Dual-stage modulation was accomplished by resistively heating alternate segments of the trap with a custom-designed capacitive discharge power supply. The performance of the proposed modulator was comparable to many GC×GC systems currently in use, with the injection band widths as low as 60 ms at half height. With proper selection of the stationary phase in the trap, the modulator can be used for the analysis of complex mixtures with volatility range spanning from n-C5 to n-C40.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ognjen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Panić
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Górecki
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McNeish
authors.forename: Allen H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Brent J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Worton
authors.forename: Susanne V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Hering
authors.forename: Nathan M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Kreisberg
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004867:Equipment Design; D005410:Flame Ionization; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008956:Models, Chemical; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes