Short column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and principal component analysis for the identification of coeluted...

The identification of four doping control substances in an artificial mixture, using short column gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was examined. Two chromatographic peaks were recorded in the chromatogram, using a short capillary column (1.8 m) at an oven temperature of 180 degrees C. The first peak was associated with a mixture of a solvent derivative and an artifact. The second one corresponded to the mixture of four control substances. Principal component analysis was applied on a selected GC-MS data set of the latter peak to determine clear full spectra of pure substances from mixture spectra. The time of GC-MS analysis was significantly reduced to less than 1 min from 30 min which is a typical GC-MS analysis time, using standard methods of doping control analysis.