Pulsed discharge helium ionization detector with multiple combined bias/collecting electrodes for gas chromatography

A pulsed discharge ionization detector (PDHID) with multiple combined bias/collecting electrodes (MC-PDHID) has been developed. Unlike most ionization detector designs with only one collecting electrode, the MC-PDHID builds multiple electrodes inside the detector cell. Each electrode serves as both a bias and a collecting electrode, thus gathering more information from the detector cell and improving PDHIP performance. The advantages of the MC-PDHID are: (1) sensitivity is increased by a factor of 2-3 times as compared with a single collecting electrode PDHID; (2) peak symmetry is improved, especially for narrow peaks; (3) it is possible to use a lower helium flow rate without compromising peak tailing; (4) linear dynamic range is increased by an order of magnitude through the calibration of electron and ion response factors; (5) certain groups of compounds can be identified. For example, if a trace amount of water is used as a dopant, the detector can identify alcohols and compounds with a hydrogen bond, since these compounds interact with the water coated on the wall in the detector cell which makes them stay in the detector cell longer than other compounds. In this research, the detector is characterized with different detector temperatures, flow rates, bias electrical potential arrangements, and bias potential polarities.