Parallel coupling of gas chromatography to mass spectrometry and solid deposition Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: an innovative approach to address challenging identifications.

The request for novel hyphenated instruments and techniques, capable of affording exhaustive information and results, is a focus continuously watched out. In this context, the present work aimed at the development of an integrated system combining gas chromatographic (GC) separation with mass spectrometry (MS) and (solid deposition) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) detection. An external transfer line was designed in the lab for the parallel coupling of the two detectors, in such a way to obtain complementary analytical information consisting of an MS spectrum, an IR spectrum and linear retention indices (LRI), within a single analysis. The instrument performance was demonstrated for the analysis of a commercial mixture consisting of 139 hydrocarbons, comprising linear, branched, unsaturated and aromatic compounds. A 100-m poly(dimethylsiloxane) column was employed for the separation, and the outlet flow was split 95:5 between the IR and MS detectors using two uncoated capillaries. The IR spectra were acquired from solid deposits on a zinc selenide disc (-90 °C), over a spot (detector area) of about 0.1 mm², in the range of 4000-700 cm^-1 and at a resolution of 4 cm^-1. Final identification of the separated compounds by a library search was achieved by excluding incorrect results, sequentially using a three-filter approach (85% similarity against reference MS and IR library spectra and ±10 LRI unit tolerance). Based on these preliminary results, the GC-MS/sd-FTIR system is a promising tool for the characterization of complex matrix constituents, for which identification is cumbersome, by using only one detection technique.