Does anyone use polar columns with GC/MS or is their use precluded by high bleed? Most of the compounds I analyse are polar and don't give very good chromatography on 'standard' GC MS columns.
Thanks
John

Polar columns are certainly useful in GC/MS applications, however you will see more column bleed from a polar phase than a nonpolar phase (that's just a fact of life). I've used wax columns as well as high % substitution cyanopropyl and trifluoropropyl columns in GC/MS systems. Their usefulness for GC/MS really depends upon the application, and whether or not the elevated bleed and reduced upper temperature limit will affect your compounds of interest significantly.

There are some good mid-polarity "ms" (low-bleed) phases available (ie. 17ms -- 50%phenyl) that exhibit both low bleed and high upper temperature limits. It's possible that something like this might be an option rather than going all the way to a high polarity column phase. Something to consider.

What are the compounds that you need to analyze?

Regards,
Jason Ellis
GC Application Engineer
Agilent Technologies

Thanks for that Jason. Generally we analyse organic acids and other small polar molecules. I was just enquiring as to whether polar columns were precluded completely from GC/MS as some of my colleagues suggested i.e. rule of thumb never use a polar column with GC/MS. You have provided me with some very useful pointers.
Regards
John

I use Innowax very successfully on GCMS for organic acids and small polar molecules.

Ralph

Thanks Ralph
John

Can you tell me which problems can cause a (dark color) column glass wool in a test or Assay?