Solving chromatographic challenges in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass...

Multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) analysis is proposed to solve chromatographic challenges during two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) analysis of complex samples, such as crude oil extract. In view of the fact that the MCR-ALS method is based on the fulfillment of the bilinear model assumption, three-way and four-way GC × GC-TOFMS data are preferably arranged in a column-wise superaugmented data matrix in which mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) are in its columns and the elution times in the second and first chromatographic columns are in its rows. Since m/z values are common for all measured spectra in all second-column modulations, unavoidable chromatographic challenges such as retention time shifts within and between GC × GC-TOFMS experiments are properly handled. In addition, baseline/background contributions can be modeled by adding extra components to the MCR-ALS model. Another outstanding aspect of MCR-ALS analysis is its extreme flexibility to consider all samples (standards, unknowns, and replicates) in a single superaugmented data matrix, allowing joint analysis. In this way, resolution, identification, and quantification results can be simultaneously obtained in a very fast and reliable way. The potential of MCR-ALS analysis is demonstrated in GC × GC-TOFMS analysis of a North Sea crude oil extract sample with relative errors in estimated concentrations of target compounds below 6.0 % and relative standard deviations lower than 7.0 %. The results obtained, along with reasonable values for the lack of fit of the MCR-ALS model and high values of the reversed match factor in mass spectra similarity searches, confirm the reliability of the proposed strategy for GC × GC-TOFMS data analysis.