Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography in forensic science: A critical review of recent trends

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) has become accepted as one of the most powerful separation techniques in several application areas. In forensic investigations, however, it has not yet been entirely established due to limitations regarding standardized methodology, data interpretation and consistency of results. Nevertheless, GC × GC allows for target analysis, compound class analysis and chemical fingerprinting of samples and is therefore increasingly applied in forensic analytics. In this review, recent and significant advances in GC × GC for application to forensic studies including human scent, arson investigations, security-relevant substances and environmental forensics are discussed. The discussion includes a brief overview of the latest trends and evolutions with regard to the various forensic applications and data evaluation as well as limitations. This leads to the conclusion that the full potential of the comprehensive data sets can only be achieved by implementing standardized analysis and data processing methods.