Optimization of a preparative capillary gas chromatography–mass spectrometry system for the isolation and harvesting of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Operation parameters of a preparative capillary gas chromatography (pcGC) system were optimized to facilitate clean and efficient harvesting of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for subsequent compound-specific radiocarbon analysis. For PAHs, the recommended optimized settings of the specially-designed pcGC cooled injection system (CIS) and preparative fraction collector (PFC) are: 5 s CIS solvent venting time, deactivation of CIS “stop flow” injection mode, autoinjector “fast injection” mode, 60 s CIS splitless time, 340 °C PFC switch temperature, and 30 °C (ambient) trapping temperature. These optimized conditions yielded highly reproducible, pure, and efficient pcGC harvesting of six PAHs with mass recoveries of 90–100% and purity of the isolates of 97–100%.