Fundamental conditions in pressure-programmed supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry and some applications to vitamin analysis

Abstract

A combined system of pressure-programmed packed capillary supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (SFC/MS) was constructed using a self-soupting interface assisted by vacuum nebulizing. For the optimum operation of the SFC/MS system, fundamental analytical conditions such as the flow rate of the mobile phase, the pump pressure and the composition of the mobile phase were examined. The use of large packing materials indicated that the capacity factor for a sample solute is almost constant under a given pump pressure regardless of the flow rate of the supercritical fluid. The SFC/MS system was applied to the analysis of both water- and fat-soluble vitamins. Both types vitamins were clearly separated under basically the same SFC conditions. High quality mass spectra of the vitamins were obtained; selected ion monitoring (SIM) traces of the vitamins are also reported as well as their UV traces.