REAL-TIME CONTROL OF COLUMN-SWITCHING IN MULTIDIMENSIONAL GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY

In chromatography the separation power expressed in terms of peak capa city can be greatly enhanced by multidimensional techniques. The most important aspect of multidimensional chromatography is the precise loc ation of the heart-cut window. Very often the reliability of this posi tioning is ensured by applying relatively large heart-cuts; this reduc es the intrinsic selectivity offered by the technique. The best way of locating peaks in chromatography is by means of retention indices. Th is technique can also be used in multidimensional chromatography. A me thod is described whereby the heart-cut window in multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) can be defined precisely.