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Updated: May 25, 2026

Profiling Volatile Compounds in Blackcurrant Fruit using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 9, 2021
Analysis of volatile bases by high performance liquid chromatography with aerosol-based detection
Ryan D Cohen1, Yong Liu, Xiaoyi Gong
1Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. ryan.cohen@merck.com
Abstract:
The development and performance of two methods are described whereby low levels of volatile bases are quantified by HPLC using either a charged aerosol detector (CAD) or a nano-quantity analyte detector (NQAD). A test set of 12 volatile bases (ammonia, hydrazine, methylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, isobutylamine, N,N-diisopropylethylamine, morpholine, piperazine, ethylenediamine, and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) were analyzed. The studied compounds all exhibit poor UV chromophores and are typically undetectable by aerosol-based detection when using conventional volatile mobile phases. The ability to detect these analytes by CAD or NQAD depended on their propensity towards formation of a low volatility salt between the target analyte and mobile phase modifier. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was found to significantly improve detection of most volatile bases. A low concentration (0.2 mM) of hydrochloric acid was additionally needed to enable detection of ammonia. The compounds were separated under hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) conditions on a zic-pHILIC column. For all analytes, limits of detection (LOD) were measured in the range of 1-27 ng on column, which is comparable to previously reported detection limits for non-volatile analytes.
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