2,4-Dinitro-3,5,6-trideuterophenylhydrazones for the quantitation of aldehydes and ketones in air samples by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

The quantification of carbonyl compounds in air samples using an internal calibration approach with stable isotope-labelled standards and HPLC–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization MS analysis is presented. 2,4-Dinitro-3,5,6-trideuterophenylhydrazine and various of its hydrazones have been synthesized and characterized for the first time. The respective stable isotope-labelled hydrazones of a series of aldehydes and ketones are applied as internal standards for the determination of the carbonyls in car exhaust samples. Various aldehydes are identified and quantified by MS detection. The results exhibit good agreement to quantification data obtained with UV detection.