title: Indirect hydrogen analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
abstract: Gas chromatography (GC) is an analytical tool very useful to investigate the composition of gaseous mixtures. The different gases are separated by specific columns but, if hydrogen (H2 ) is present in the sample, its detection can be performed by a thermal conductivity detector or a helium ionization detector. Indeed, coupled to GC, no other detector can perform this detection except the expensive atomic emission detector. Based on the detection and analysis of H2 isotopes by low-pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (MS), a new method for H2 detection by GC coupled to MS with an electron ionization ion source and a quadrupole analyser is presented. The presence of H2 in a gaseous mixture could easily be put in evidence by the monitoring of the molecular ion of the protonated carrier gas.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Toxicology and Chemistry Unit, University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne - Geneva, CH-1011, Lausanne, Switzerland. vincent.varlet@chuv.ch
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Varlet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Augsburger
mesh_terms: D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006371:Helium / Q000737:chemistry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D006371:Helium; D006859:Hydrogen; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: carrier gas protonation; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; helium; hydrogen; thermal conductivity detector