CONFIRMATIONAL ANALYSIS OF BETA-AGONISTS BY CRYOTRAPPING GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY FOURIER-TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROMETRY

Cryotrapping gas chromatography-Fourier transform infrared spectrometr y has been used for confirmation analysis of the beta-agonists clenbut erol, salbutamol, mabuterol, bromobuterol, cimaterol, cimbuterol and m apenterol in urine and liver samples of veal calves, subsequent to sel ected ion detection gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Samples have been analysed as their trimethylsilyl and methylboronate derivatives. Methylboronate derivatives yielded strongly diminished chemical backg round and interference levels in the infrared chromatograms of standar ds and samples. The limit of identification for methylboronate derivat ives was at the low ppb level in incurred samples. The similarity of a nalyte and reference spectra, together with the retention time, was fo und to be a useful criterion for confirmation of unknown compounds.