A new method to analysis synthetic acetic acid to vinegar: Hydrogen isotope ratio at the methyl site of acetic acid in vinegar by GC-IRMS

Abstract

Acetic acid is the key organic substance used to verify the authenticity of vinegar. A new method for precisely determining acetic acid δDCH3 in vinegar via gas chromatography −pyrolytic-stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-P-IRMS) was established. The δDCH3 values were obtained via calibration with a series of standards. The optimised method demonstrated a repeatability standard deviation within 3 ‰. The standard deviation of accuracy of the new method compared with that of the SNIF-NMR method was within 2.6 ‰. The synthetic acetic acid δDCH3 values was −136.7 ‰ ± 29.6 ‰, and the δDCH3 value of acetic acid in vinegar was −414.9 ‰ ± 40.5 ‰, with significant isotopic distribution characteristics. This methodology serves as a supplementary method for measuring the δDCH3 value of acetic acid in vinegar. It has advantages over other methods in terms of time, sensitivity and operability. And provides a new idea for solving the problem of analyzing substances in the presence of exchangeable groups.