Enhanced gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates analysis.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers with diverse applications.
• Accurate quantification of PHA composition is crucial for understanding their properties and applications.
• Existing quantification methods often require specific standards, limiting their applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for quantifying polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).
• To enable PHA quantification even in the absence of specific analytical standards.
• To establish reliable correlations between PHA monomer carbon number and GC-MS parameters.

Main Methods:

• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed for PHA analysis.
• The method was designed to quantify PHAs containing 4-carbon to 16-carbon monomers.
• Linear correlations between PHA carbon number, retention time, and response factor were established.

Main Results:

• Strong linear correlations (R(2) ≥ 0.987) were observed between PHA carbon number and retention time/response factor.
• The developed method achieved high recovery values for PHA polymers, ranging from 100.5% to 114.3%.
• Quantification of PHAs was demonstrated to be feasible without the need for specific PHA standards.

Conclusions:

• A robust and versatile GC-MS method for PHA quantification has been successfully developed.
• The method's ability to quantify PHAs without standards significantly broadens its utility.
• The established correlations provide a reliable basis for accurate PHA composition analysis.