Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry resolution of sugar acid enantiomers on a permethylated β-cyclodextrin stationary phase

Analysis of compounds in meteorites revealed a need to simultaneously characterize multiple enantiomers of sugar acids (aldonic acids) present in trace amounts. Analyses by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry demonstrated that all but two of the three-carbon through six-carbon straight-chained sugar acid enantiomer pairs could be resolved using a single derivatization procedure and one set of GC parameters. Compounds were analyzed as their ethyl ester/O-triflouroacetyl, isopropyl ester/O-triflouroacetyl and isopropyl ester/O-pentafluoropropionyl derivatives on a capillary column containing permethylated β-cyclodextrin (Chirasil-Dex CB) as the stationary phase. Characteristic mass fragments are related to the ester groups while several ions are also common to derivatized monosaccharides.