Second dimension temperature programming system for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with true temperature control

Abstract

A proof-of-concept second dimension (²D) temperature programming system for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) with true temperature control is introduced and its performance characterized. The ²D temperature programming system utilized a commercial stainless-steel capillary column that was resistively heated and controlled using an Arduino UNO microcontroller. Temperature measurement was accomplished using a differential thermocouple system attached to the ²D column. Diesel was injected in triplicate to compare the reproducibility of the GC × GC system without additional ²D heating, with ²D temperature programming, and with a constant offset, all accomplished using the ²D temperature programming system. Relative standard deviations for the ²D temperature programming were 0.02%, 0.49% and 1.2% for the first dimension (¹D) retention time, ²D retention time, and peak area, respectively. The estimated ²D peak capacity improved by 48% with ²D temperature programming compared to the separation without additional ²D heating.