The application of separation methods to the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by matrix isolation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Fractional sublimation was used as a method for achieving a degree of separation in the matrix isolation sample deposition process. "Synthetic" mixtures (containing up to 5 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) were fractionated using this technique. Fractional sublimation was shown to be a useful tool for qualitative analyses of mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly for identifying the more volatile components in samples containing large numbers of compounds.

Capillary column gas chromatography was coupled with matrix isolation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and used for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in complex mixtures. A Beer's law study involving pyrene indicated that a linear relationship between sample weight and absorbance extended over 1 order of magnitude, from a detection limit of 710 ng to ~7 µg. Gas chromatography/matrix isolation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to the analysis of fractions from "synthetic" fuel samples (a solvent-refined coal, a crude oil derived from coal and a shale oil sample), and qualitative results were compared with data obtained by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and matrix isolation fluorescence spectroscopy. Finally, three of the major components (phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene) in the solvent-refined coal sample were quantitated using chromatographic as well as spectroscopic data obtained by gas chromatography/matrix isolation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.