SENSITIVE DETECTION OF NICOTINE AFTER ITS NOVEL PERFLUOROACYLATION AND ANALYSIS USING CAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY ELECTRON-CAPTURE DETECTION

The on-column chromatographic detection of nicotine at low picogram levels is described. Nicotine is first subjected to chemical derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride in the presence of pyridine. In the absence of pyridine, the derivatization reaction is markedly retarded. This high-yield reaction results in the opening of the N-methylpyrrolidine ring of nicotine with concomitant formation of a highly electrophilic N,O-diheptafluorobutyryl derivative. After extraction of the nicotine derivative into isooctane, it is subjected to splitless capillary gas chromatographic analysis using a Ni-63 electron-capture detector and a moderately polar fused-silica capillary column. The nicotine derivative can be detected on-column at levels below 5 pg.