Determination of trace C-1-C-4 aliphatic alcohols in aqueous samples by 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate derivatization and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography

A simple procedure for precolumn fluorescence derivatization of low-molecul ar-weight aliphatic alcohols (C-1-C-4) with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate is presented, The derivatization reaction proceeds in 1:1 (v/v) aqueous-ac etonitrile solution at room temperature with a sodium phosphate buffer of p H 12.5 as a catalyst. Stable fluorescent derivatives of the alcohols are fo rmed within 10 min, The four derivatives are separated by reversed-phase hi gh-performance liquid chromatography and detected by a fluorescence detecto r at an excitation wavelength of 259 nm and an emission wavelength of 311 n m. The method detection limits are 4, 40, 70, and 30 pmol for methanol, eth anol, propanol, and butanol, respectively, per 5-mu L injection volume. The relative standard deviations are 3.7% for methanol at 75 pmol and 2.1, 1.5 , and 2.2% for ethanol propanol, and butanol, respectively, at 750 pmol. As a preliminary application, the method was used to determine methanol conce ntration in laboratory air and ethanol content in a commercial alcoholic be verage.