Making Sample Preparation Easy with Automated SPME and Static Headspace Outline of Talk ! ! ! ! Introduction—sample types for GC Description of static headspace and solid phase microextraction (SPME) ! SPME Optimization ! Comparison of two techniques Automation with the Combi PAL Summary GC Sample Types ! Trace levels of analytes in a “dirty” aqueous matrix ! Solids containing volatiles ! Low levels of analytes in water ! Low levels of analytes in a clean organic solvent Only the last sample type should be injected directly into the GC without sample preparation Conventional GC and GC/MS Sample Preparation Analytes are usually in an aqueous matrix which contains non-volatile material " Several Steps ! ! ! ! Liquid-liquid extraction Solid phase extraction Evaporation under nitrogen Addition of a solvent Final sample ready for injection Static headspace or Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) can be used for most samples in water or solids What are they? Static headspace and solid phase microextraction (SPME) are both solvent-free sample introduction methods for GC. Both techniques are suitable for trace organic compounds in solids and aqueous solutions. Static Headspace Sample containing volatiles is placed in a closed container. After equilibrium is reached, an aliquot of the gas phase is removed and injected into the GC. Solid Phase Microextraction ! A fused silica fiber is coated with an absorbent such as methyl silicone. ! The fiber is inserted into the sample or in the headspace over the sample. ! Analytes are absorbed into the fiber coating and then desorbed in a GC injector. ! Fibers and holders (both manual and automated) are made by Supelco. Varian has automated the technique. SPME Fiber Holder Plunger Barrel Color-coded Screw Hub Sealing Septum Retaining Nut Fiber Sheath Fiber Attachment Rod (pierces septum of sample vial and GC injector) SPME Fiber SPME Sampling Process absorb desorb Several Fibers are Available for Different Applications ! Polydimethylsiloxane " A non-polar phase available in three phase thicknesses for a wide variety of slightly polar compounds. ! 85-micron Polyacrylate (phenols) ! 65-micron Carbowax/divinylbenzene (alcohols) ! 75-micron PDMS/divinylbenzene (amines) 65-micron Carboxen/PDMS (volatiles) 80-micron Divinylbenzene/carboxen/PDMS for samples with volatiles and semivolatiles ! ! SPME Applications ! ! ! ! ! Forensic applications—blood alcohol, arson, drug analysis Flavors and contaminants in food Volatile organics, pesticides, phenols, PNA’s, explosives in environmental samples Organic volatiles in pharmaceuticals Polymers, industrial formulations Schematic of a Single Extraction of a Substance From a Solution CCLL Distribution Coefficient = Distribution Coefficient =CCG G Substances in Water at 25°C Benzene 4.0 Acetone 551 Ethanol 5260 VG; CG VL; C0 VL; CL SPME is a Three- Phase System K1 = CL/CG K2 = CF/CL K3 =CF/CG C0 VL= CGVG+ CLVL+ CFVF Conventional Static Headspace Sampling Response depends on volatility and partition coefficient After equilibrium Original sample SPME Response Depends on fiber selectivity in addition to partition coefficients Techniques for Optimization ! Injector conditions Selection of the appropriate fiber phase Achieving clean blanks ! Saturation with salt ! Size of sampling vial ! Mixing or agitation ! Sampling time ! Heating ! ! SPME Chromatograms of BTEX’s With Splitless Injection insert: 4 mm id insert: 0.8 mm id The inner diameter of the injector insert should be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the fiber sheath to assure sharp peaks. Merlin MicrosealTM Replaces septum Nut comes with start switch ! Designed for 1078/79 injectors ! Easy installation-replace septum and nut ! Eliminates all septum coring and bleed problems ! Reguires 23-gauge SPME fiber or syringe Absolute Response to Gaseous VOC’s With SPME and SHS 80000 70000 60000 50000 SHS Carboxen PDMS Tri-phase 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 Chloromethane 200 ppb Chloroethene CCl3F Absolute Response to Later Eluting VOC’s With SPME and SHS 3500000 3000000 SHS Carboxen PDMS Tri-phase 2500000 2000000 1500000 1000000 500000 0 1,2,3-TrichloroPropane 200 ppb 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane 1,3-butadiene,1,1,2,3,4,4 hexachlorine Initial Chromatogram of a New Fiber Detector: FID Fiber: 100µ PDMS Blue: First chromatogram, Black: After conditioning FID Chromatograms of Empty Vials Unbaked septum Baked septum Vial with no septum Injected clean needle No injection Effect of Addition of Various Salts on Sensitivity 10 enhancement was 23-fold No salt FID Response 8 Sodium chloride Sodium sulfate 6 Potassium carbonate 4 2 0 MeCl Benzene TCE Chloroform Toluene Dioxane Effect of Agitation on Response of Halogenated Pesticides (2ppb in water) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. α-HCH γ-HCH β -HCH Heptachlor δ-HCH Aldrin Heptachlor epoxide Endosulfan I 4,4’-DDE Dieldrin Endrin 4,4’-DDD Endosulfan II 4,4’-DDT Endrin aldehyde Endosulfan sulfate Methoxychlor Endrin ketone 4 agitated 10 7 11 6 8 12 9 13 14 1 2 3 5 15 16 17 18 not agitated SPME Headspace Response of 2 ppb DDT in Water versus Temperature 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 Temperature °C 65 70 75 80 Static Headspace and SPME Advantages: Solvent-free Can be done manually Sensitivity to ppb levels or lower Disadvantages: Equilibrium techniques (full recovery not possible) Matrix effects must be considered in quantitative work SPME vs Static Headspace FEATURES SHS SPME Compounds volatiles volatiles, semivolatiles Selectivity depends on volatility and solubility in solvent can be adjusted by varying fiber Sensitivity ppm to ppb depending on detector usually greater than headspace Advantages More rugged technique See above—also easier than SPME to focus analytes (avoids large volume injections) Recommendations ! ! Use static headspace: ! analytes have a narrow boiling point range and a low boiling point ! SHS meets sensitivity requirements for the analysis Use SPME ! analytes have a wide boiling point range ! semivolatiles ! SHS does not meet sensitivity requirements Features ! ! Three modes ! Liquid injection ! Static headspace ! SPME Samples ! Choice of vial sizes (2-mL, 10-mL, 20-mL) ! Can accept up to four sample trays – up to 392 2-mL vials – up to 128 10-mL vials Features ! Liquid injection ! ! ! ! ! Headspace ! ! ! ! Uses standard 10-µL syringe Can inject large volumes (up to 500-µL) Can inject into two injectors Two-solvent syringe wash Heated gas-tight syringes to 5 mL Samples heated to 200°C with variable mixing speeds Constant heating time for all samples SPME ! ! Samples heated to 200°C with variable mixing speeds Constant heating time for all samples Options ! ! ! ! Cycle Composer software ! Macros can be written to add steps to a cycle ! Examples: derivatization with SPME, add internal standards with liquid injection Bar code reader Cooling of 2-mL samples (4-60°C) Bakeout station for SPME fibers Headspace Chromatogram of High Ethanol Standard (0.50%) followed by a Blank ethanol Blank run n-propanol Linearity of Ethanol from 0.00-0.50% 6.00 5.00 corr. 0.9999 4.00 RRF 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 % ethanol 0.40 3 data points at each level (not averaged) Response factor RSD=0.88% 0.50 0.60 Area Count Data for Highly Volatile Componds Compound (BP, °C) Precision (% RSD) Dichlorodifluoromethane (-29.8) 1.18 Chloromethane (-23.7) 0.56 Vinyl chloride (-13.4) 0.41 Bromomethane (3.6) 0.79 Chloroethane (12.3) 0.70 Trichlorofluoromethane (23.7) 0.37 (2 ppm, n=4) Headspace Chromatogram of Diesel followed by a Blank Run Headspace SPME of Pesticides in Milk (100 ppb, 80°C) Blank milk, ions 235+246 DDE DDD DDT Spiked milk, ions 235+246 Spiked milk, ECD Total Ion Chromatogram of Volatiles in Water (17 ppb) Carboxen fiber—60 compounds in water from dichlorodifluoromethane (B.P. -29.8°C) to 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene (B.P. 221°C) Conclusion " With static headspace, SPME and liquid injection capability, the Combi PAL allows the user to handle a wide variety of GC samples with a minimum of sample preparation.
© Copyright 2024