Comparative gas chromatographic response of organophosphorus compounds containing nitrogen and nitrogen compounds with alkali flame and electrolytic conductivity detectors

Abstract

Both the alkali flame detector and the electrolytic conductivity detector can be used for the gas chromatographic determination of nitrogen compounds. While the electrolytic conductivity detector is specific, the alkali flame detector responds to various hetero atoms. The response for a series of organonitrogen and organophosphorus compounds contianing other hetero atoms were determined under the same experimental conditions, and the results were compared. The response of the alkali flame detector is grater for phosphorus than for nitrogen and the results obtained suggest that the magnitude of response is dependent on structural effects. In the absence of phosphorus, compounds containing only nitrogen showed no obvious structural correlation. With the electrolyte conductivity detector the response is purely a function of the amount of nitrogen in the molecule. The responses of these two detectors to nitrogen compounds were of the same order.