New Methods for Characterization of Supercritical Fluid Solutions

Abstract

AbstractThe dependence of the solvating power of a supercritical fluid on pressure allows this property to be continuously changed from that of a gas to approaching that of a liquid. This ability has led to the development of new analytical, separation, and extraction methods. These methods include open tubular capillary column supercritical fluid chromatography, direct fluid injection‐mass spectrometry, and the direct combination of these techniques. The direct fluid injection process enables the transfer of nonvolatile or thermally labile compounds to the gas phase allowing the use of mass spectrometry and other analytical techniques. In addition, the rapid development of capillary column supercritical fluid chromatography now allows the high resolution separation of complex mixtures. Several examples are given to demonstrate the application of these methods for the characterization of complex supercritical fluid solutions and extracted mixtures.