TWO-DIMENSIONAL CAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITHOUT INTERMEDIATE TRAPPING - ELECTRON-CAPTURE DETECTOR QUANTITATION OF AN AMINO ALCOHOL (KABI 2128) IN SERUM AFTER TRIFLUOROACETYLATION

A 2-dimensional gas chromatograph based on the Deans switching principle is described. The unit comprises 2 separate ovens, each containing a fused silica capillary column. The columns are joined in a specially designed manifold permitting heart cuts to be performed without significant decrease in efficiency. The switching speed and the retention time stability of the system made it possible to perform heart cuts of only a few seconds'' duration. The system was used under isothermal conditions for the determination of an amino alcohol (KABI 2128, an .alpha.-receptor stimulating agent) in the low ng/ml range after trifluoroacetylation and with electron capture detection. A much shorter clean-up procedure could be used in combination with the 2-dimensional gas chromatograph as compared to a method using a single glass capillary column.