AS143: Separation of Complex Aroma Compounds Using Selectable 1D/2D GC-MS with Simultaneous Olfactory and Element Specific Detection

Martin Perkins

7th June 2018

Complex Aroma Compound Separation Using Selectable 1D/2D GC-MS with Simultaneous Olfactory and Element Specific Detection:

In complex flavour mixtures, it can be difficult to separate closely eluting compounds and fully define those that are most aroma active.

The use of human assessors via an olfactory detector may assist in identifying the region of interest, but where peaks are closely eluting accurate descriptors can be difficult and specific compounds may be difficult to identify. The use of extended chromatographic run times, when performing Complex Aroma Compound Separation – GC-O is also not recommended, as assessors sniffing at the odour port will become tired and potentially less sensitive to a change in odour.

The patented GERSTEL Selectable 1D/2D-GC-MS System can run analysis just through one column (1D mode), but also enables sections of the chromatogram to be cut and separated on a second-dimension column (2D), using so called ‘heart cutting’.

This application note shows how in combination with specific detectors, heartcut 1D/2D can be used to characterise aroma active compounds and provide increased separation, without the need for extended chromatographic runs. Element specific detection can provide enhanced sensitivity and the single chromatogram obtained simplifies data analysis, providing a robust solution for aroma compound analysis.

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