title: Quantitative carbon detector for enhanced detection of molecules in foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, flavors, and fuels.
abstract: Analysis of trace compounds, such as pesticides and other contaminants, within consumer products, fuels, and the environment requires quantification of increasingly complex mixtures of difficult-to-quantify compounds. Many compounds of interest are non-volatile and exhibit poor response in current gas chromatography and flame ionization systems. Here we show the reaction of trimethylsilylated chemical analytes to methane using a quantitative carbon detector (QCD; the Polyarc™ reactor) within a gas chromatograph (GC), thereby enabling enhanced detection (up to 10×) of highly functionalized compounds including carbohydrates, acids, drugs, flavorants, and pesticides. Analysis of a complex mixture of compounds shows that the GC-QCD method exhibits faster and more accurate analysis of complex mixtures commonly encountered in everyday products and the environment.
authors: University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors: Connor A
authors: CA
authors: Beach
authors: University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Krumm
authors: University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors: Charles S
authors: CS
authors: Spanjers
authors: University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors: Saurabh
authors: S
authors: Maduskar
authors: Activated Research Company, 7561 Corporate Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344, USA.
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Jones
authors: University of Minnesota, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 421 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA and Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI), a U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Frontiers Research Center, USA. hauer@umn.edu.
authors: Paul J
authors: PJ
authors: Dauenhauer
mesh_terms: D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000737:chemistry*; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D005579:Fossil Fuels / Q000032:analysis*; D008697:Methane / Q000737:chemistry; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds; D008697:Methane