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Springer Handbook of Odor pp 47–48Cite as

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Odorant Analysis

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Abstract

Precise odorant analysis by gas chromatography (GlossaryTerm

GC

) with olfactometry (GlossaryTerm

O

) methods, especially for complex sample mixtures, relies firstly upon achieving the best possible chemical separation of the volatile components. Odorants are often sampled from the headspace into the GC, since this is where our perception of the product is usually conducted, but the total sample or a liquid extract (e. g., from a wine sample) may also be introduced into the GC. Multidimensional GC (GlossaryTerm

MDGC

) methods achieve higher resolution than single column GC. For complex mixtures heart-cut MDGC, where discrete subsamples of eluate are transferred from the first column separation for analysis on a second column, significantly improve resolution of the components in the heart-cut fraction. Alternatively, comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GlossaryTerm

GC × GC

) improves resolution for all components in the injected material, but here the second column must complete analysis of each fraction very quickly e. g., within 5 s. Both approaches have been widely studied for aroma extracts and essential oils. Integrating simultaneous olfactometry – providing sensory assessment of a compound – and mass spectrometry (GlossaryTerm

MS

) – providing identification of the compound – in the MDGC experiment is important. At the end of the second column, split flow of effluent to O and MS allows effective dual detection of the resolved components. This is best conducted by the heart-cut MDGC approach. Novel methods usually based on MDGC can also be used to re-combine different odor-eliciting compounds, to study synergistic effects.

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Abbreviations

1-D:

one-dimensional

1D:

first dimension

2-D:

two-dimensional

2D:

second dimension

FID:

flame ionization detection

FPD:

flame photometric detection

FT:

Fourier transform

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared

GC-O:

gas chromatography-olfactometry

GC-PO:

GC-pedestal olfactometer

GC-RO:

GC-recomposition-olfactometry

GC-SNIF:

GC-surface of nasal impact frequency

GC:

gas chromatography

GC × GC:

two-dimensional GC

IRMS:

isotope ratio mass spectrometry

LC:

liquid chromatography

MDGC:

multidimensional GC

MS:

mass spectrometry

NMR:

nuclear magnetic resonance

O:

olfactometry

PFPD:

pulsed flame photometric detector

SPME:

solid phase micro extraction

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank for the support by the Australian Research Council ARC Discovery Project funding through grant Discovery Grant DP1310217. PM acknowledges the award of a Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award of the ARC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, W2 1PG, London, UK

    Sung-Tong Chin

  2. Department of Food Science, University of Otago, 9054, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Graham T. Eyres

  3. Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science, Monash University, Wellington Road, 3800, Victoria, Australia

    Philip J. Marriott

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  1. Fraunhofer-Institut for Process Engineering and Packaging, Giggenhauser Str. 35, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Andrea Buettner

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Chin, ST., Eyres, G.T., Marriott, P.J. (2017). Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Odorant Analysis. In: Buettner, A. (eds) Springer Handbook of Odor. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26932-0_17

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