Derivatization for GC/MS analysis

We would like to introduce our "Chemical Analysis - Trust Us Service." When conducting component analysis of foreign substances or stains on products, it can be challenging to determine whether organic analysis or inorganic analysis is more suitable, and which specific analysis within organic or inorganic is the most appropriate. We provide a comprehensive service for customers who are struggling with the selection of analysis methods. Since each analytical instrument is capable of measuring different targets, it is necessary to choose the method that fits the purpose based on the information available.

This article introduces a pretreatment method to enable the analysis of substances that are difficult to analyze using GC/MS. The pretreatment that converts difficult-to-analyze substances into analyzable substances is called "derivatization." Methods such as esterification, acylation, and silylation are used selectively according to the types and characteristics of the difficult-to-analyze substances. GC/MS measurements were conducted on citric acid solutions and citric acid solutions after esterification. It was found that citric acid, being a carboxylic acid, could not be effectively detected without derivatization, but after esterification, trimethyl citrate was detected, confirming the presence of citric acid. By performing appropriate derivatization, more accurate analysis becomes possible.