Packed column supercritical fluid chromatography mass spectroscopy: A review

The Literature is reviewed with regard to packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled directly with mass spectrometry (MS) using either analytical scale or microbore columns that have typically been used for liquid chromatography analysis. Efforts with direct fluid introduction, moving belt interface, thermospray, particle beam, and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization have been discussed. No longer should SFC be a last resort technique but it should be exercised to its full advantage, especially when coupled to MS. With continual advances in commercially available instrumentation, sample assay by SFC-MS should become routine and rugged. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.