A low thermal mass fast gas chromatograph and its implementation in fast gas chromatography mass spectrometry with supersonic molecular beams

A new type of low thermal mass (LTM) fast gas chromatograph (GC) was designed and operated in combination with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with supersonic molecular beams (SMB), including GC–MS–MS with SMB, thereby providing a novel combination with unique capabilities. The LTM fast GC is based on a short capillary column inserted inside a stainless steel tube that is resistively heated. It is located and mounted outside the standard GC oven on its available top detector port, while the capillary column is connected as usual to the standard GC injector and supersonic molecular beam interface transfer line. This new type of fast GC–MS with SMB enables less than 1 min full range temperature programming and cooling down analysis cycle time. The operation of the fast GC–MS with SMB was explored and 1 min full analysis cycle time of a mixture of 16 hydrocarbons in the C10H22 up to C44H90 range was achieved. The use of 35 mL/min high column flow rate enabled the elution of C44H90 in less than 45 s while the SMB interface enabled splitless acceptance of this high flow rate and the provision of dominant molecular ions. A novel compound 9-benzylazidanthracene was analyzed for its purity and a synthetic chemistry process was monitored for the optimization of the chemical reaction yield. Biodiesel was analyzed in jet fuel (by both GC–MS and GC–MS–MS) in under 1 min as 5 ppm fatty acid methyl esters. Authentic iprodion and cypermethrin pesticides were analyzed in grapes extract in both full scan mode and fast GC–MS–MS mode in under 1 min cycle time and explosive mixture including TATP, TNT and RDX was analyzed in under 1 min combined with exhibiting dominant molecular ion for TATP. Fast GC–MS with SMB is based on trading GC separation for speed of analysis while enhancing the separation power of the MS via the enhancement of the molecular ion in the electron ionization of cold molecules in the SMB. This paper further discusses several features of fast GC and fast GC–MS and the various trade-offs involved in having powerful and practical fast GC–MS.

► A new type of low thermal mass fast gas chromatograph was designed and operated with GC–MS.
► Fast GC–MS with supersonic molecular beams was used for under 1 min analysis.
► Fast GC–MS–MS with supersonic molecular beams was used for under 1 min analysis.
► Fast GC–MS with SMB was explored in 1 min analysis cycle time of 16 hydrocarbons.
► A novel compound 9-benzylazidanthracene was analyzed for its purity.