Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Rapid Analytical Method for the Selective Quenching-Free Determination of Thiols by GC-FPD

  • Original
  • Published:
Chromatographia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A rapid method is introduced, which facilitates the selective gas chromatography–flame photometric detection (GC–FPD) analysis of thiols. The method uses lead oxide particles or plumbite solution to complex thiols into a solid lead thiolate moiety that can be physically separated from complex sample matrices and then reconstituted as the original thiol in a simple replacement solvent for analysis. While both red or yellow forms of lead oxide are found to remove thiols from sample solutions, the latter does so about 10 times faster than the former. Comparatively, though, plumbite solution is most rapid in this regard and is still 10 fold faster than solid yellow lead oxide. For example, 98 ± 1% (n = 3) of a 1-butanethiol standard in hexane (600 ng µL− 1) was extracted after only 2 min of contact with a 0.06 M plumbite solution. The method allows thiols to be selectively isolated from co-eluting peaks and other sulfur species, which can simplify their determination. It also allows thiols to be removed from complex hydrocarbon matrices for analysis, which can greatly reduce interference from signal quenching when using a conventional FPD. For instance, analysis of a thiol standard in a commercial gasoline by this method showed that the FPD sulfur signal increased from 16 to 97% of its expected value by removing the quenching hydrocarbon interference. Accordingly, results indicate that this method could be a useful alternative approach for the selective analysis of such thiol-containing samples.

Graphical Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wardencki W (2000) In: Wilson ID (ed) Encyclopedia of separation science. Academic Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  2. Heilmann J, Heumann KG (2009) Anal Bioanal Chem 393:393–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bloem E, Haneklaus S, Schnug E (2015) Front Plant Sci 5:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Zhang Y, Liu Z, Wang W, Cheng Z, Shen B (2013) Fuel Process Technol 115:63–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Labandeira-Villot X (1996) Energy Policy 24:841–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. McBryde WAE (1991) Ann Sci 48:103–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Roland A, Schneider R, Razungles A, Cavelier F (2011) Chem Rev 111:7355–7376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dulsat-Serra N, Quintanilla-Casas B, Vichi S (2016) Food Res Int 89:982–988

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ott E, Reid EE (1930) Ind Eng Chem 22:884–887

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Faragher W, Morrell J, Monroe G (1927) Ind Eng Chem 19:1281–1284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhao H, Xia D (2004) Pet Sci Technol 22:1641–1653

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Xia DH, Su YX, Qian JL (1997) Pet Sci Technol 15:545–557

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Corrêa SM, Arbilla G (2008) Atmos Environ 42:6721–6725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wei Z, Mankiewicz P, Walters C, Qian K, Phan NT, Madincea ME, Nguyen PTH (2011) Org Geochem 42:121–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ganguly SK, Das G, Kumar S, Sain B, Garg MO (2012) Catal Today 198:246–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Topolyan AP, Belyaeva MA, Slyundina MS, Ilyushenkova VV, Formanovsky AA, Korshun VA, Borisov RS (2017) Anal Methods 9:6335–6340

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Gras R, Luong J, Carter V, Sieben L, Cortes H (2009) J Chromatogr A 1216:2776–2782

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. de Wild PJ, Nyqvist RG, de Bruijn FA, Stobbe ER (2006) J Power Sour 159:995–1004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Myung SW, Huh S, Kim J, Kim Y, Kim M, Kim Y, Kim W, Kim B (1997) J Chromatogr A 791:367–370

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tamaki T, Sonoki S (1999) J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 45:213–222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Musumeci LE, Ryona I, Pan BS, Loscos N, Feng H, Cleary MT, Sacks GL (2015) Molecules 20:12280–12299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Løkke MM, Edelenbos M, Larsen E, Feilberg A (2012) Sensors 12:16060–16076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hill PG, Smith RM (2000) J Chromatogr 872:203–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Lyumugabe F, Gros J, Thonart P, Collin S (2012) Flavour Fragr J 27:372–377

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Jabalpurwala F, Gurbuz O, Rouseff R (2010) Food Chem 120:296–303

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Takoi K, Degueil M, Shinkaruk S, Thibon C, Maeda K, Ito K, Bennetau B, Dubourdieu D, Tominaga T (2009) J Agric Food Chem 57:2493–2502

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Simon M, Hansen AP, Young CT (2001) J Dairy Sci 84:774–783

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Campos VP, Oliveira AS, Cruz LPS, Borges J, Tavares TM (2010) Microchem J 96:283–289

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Patterson PL, Howe RL, Abu-Shumays A (1978) Anal Chem 50:339–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. McKelvie KH, Thurbide KB (2017) Anal Methods 9:1097–1104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Clark AG, Thurbide KB (2014) J Chromatogr A 1326:103–109

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Clark AG, Thurbide KB (2015) J Chromatogr A 1421:154–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Link DD, Baltrus JP, Rothenberger KS, Zandhuis P, Minus D, Striebich RC (2002) J Chromatogr Sci 40:500–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Moustafa NE, Andersson JT (2011) Fuel Process Technol 92:547–555

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Lopez Garcia C, Becchi M, Grenier-Loustalot MF, Paisse O, Szymanski R (2002) Anal Chem 74:3849–3857

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Navas MJ, Jiménez AM (2000) Crit Rev Anal Chem 30:153–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Shearer RL (1992) Anal Chem 64:2192–2196

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Eckert-Tilotta SE, Hawthorne SB, Miller DJ (1992) J Chromatogr A 591:313–323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Belancic Majcenovic A, Schneider R, Lepoutre JP, Lempereur V, Baumes R (2002) J Agric Food Chem 50:6653–6658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Thomson JS, Green JB, McWilliams TB (1997) Energy Fuels 11:909–914

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Warren JM, Parkinson DR, Pawliszyn J (2013) J Agric Food Chem 61:492–500

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Wang Q, Chong JM, Pawliszyn J (2006) Flavour Fragr J 21:385–394

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Morrell JC, Faragher WF (1927) Ind Eng Chem 1114:1045–1049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Nehlsen JP, Benziger JB, Kevrekidis IG (2003) Ind Eng Chem Res 42:6919–6923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Nehlsen JP, Benziger JB, Kevrekidis IG (2004) Energy Fuels 18:721–726

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Matthews JW, Kircher CJ, Drake RE (1977) Thin Solid Films 47:95–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Ott E, Reid EE (1930) Ind Eng Chem 22:878–881

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Takagi K, Kataoka H, Makita M (1996) Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 60:729–731

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for a Discovery Grant in support of this research.

Funding

This study was funded by an NSERC Discovery Grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Kaylan H. McKelvie & Kevin B. Thurbide

Authors
  1. Kaylan H. McKelvie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kevin B. Thurbide
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kevin B. Thurbide.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies involving human or animal participants.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

McKelvie, K.H., Thurbide, K.B. A Rapid Analytical Method for the Selective Quenching-Free Determination of Thiols by GC-FPD. Chromatographia 81, 1559–1567 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10337-018-3619-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10337-018-3619-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation