Comparison of different mass spectrometers in combination with high-speed narrow-bore capillary gas chromatography

Fast chromatographic separations can be achieved by using narrow-bore columns and by operating at vacuum outlet conditions. In this work, the combination of 50 ,um LD. columns with different mass spectrometers (including ion-trap and time-of-flight mass analyzers) is evaluated. Special emphasis was given to the detection limits and scan rates. The ion-trap detector affords identification limits in the low picogram range. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer enables acquisition rates up to 65 spectra per second. The performances of the different GC-MS systems are demonstrated by several high-speed applications