title: Solving chromatographic challenges in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry using multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares.
abstract: Multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) analysis is proposed to solve chromatographic challenges during two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) analysis of complex samples, such as crude oil extract. In view of the fact that the MCR-ALS method is based on the fulfillment of the bilinear model assumption, three-way and four-way GC × GC-TOFMS data are preferably arranged in a column-wise superaugmented data matrix in which mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) are in its columns and the elution times in the second and first chromatographic columns are in its rows. Since m/z values are common for all measured spectra in all second-column modulations, unavoidable chromatographic challenges such as retention time shifts within and between GC × GC-TOFMS experiments are properly handled. In addition, baseline/background contributions can be modeled by adding extra components to the MCR-ALS model. Another outstanding aspect of MCR-ALS analysis is its extreme flexibility to consider all samples (standards, unknowns, and replicates) in a single superaugmented data matrix, allowing joint analysis. In this way, resolution, identification, and quantification results can be simultaneously obtained in a very fast and reliable way. The potential of MCR-ALS analysis is demonstrated in GC × GC-TOFMS analysis of a North Sea crude oil extract sample with relative errors in estimated concentrations of target compounds below 6.0 % and relative standard deviations lower than 7.0 %. The results obtained, along with reasonable values for the lack of fit of the MCR-ALS model and high values of the reversed match factor in mass spectra similarity searches, confirm the reliability of the proposed strategy for GC × GC-TOFMS data analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. h.parastar@sci.ui.ac.ir
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Parastar
authors.forename: Jagoš R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Radović
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bayona
authors.forename: Roma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tauler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum