SUPERCRITICAL FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHODS FOR NON-VOLATILEORGANIC COMPOUNDS

IT IS PROPOSED THAT LEE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATES AND DEVELOPSNEW AND IMPROVED INSTRUMENTAL METHODS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF N NON-VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTAL MA MATRICES BY CAPILLARY COLUMN SUPERCRITICAL FLUID CHROMATO GRAPHY (SFC). NON-VOLATILE COMPOUNDS OF SPECIFIC INTEREST INCLUDE HEAVY-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT, POLAR, AND THERMAL-LABILE SPECIES WHICH HAVE PROVEN TO BE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO ANALYZE BY CONVENTIONAL GC AND/OR HPLC METHODS. IN PHASE I OF THIS WORK, THE FEASIBILITY OF ANALYZING SELECTED NON-VOLAVOLATILE COMPOUNDS, BOTH AS STANDARD COMPOUNDS AND AS FOUND IN THE PRESENCE OF COMPLEX MIXTURES, BY CAPILLARY COLUMN SFCWILL BE DEMONSTRATED. EXPERIMENTAL ASPECTS OF THIS PHASE OF THE STUDY WILL INCLUDE THE INVESTIGATION OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUID MOBILE PHASE SOLUBILITY EFFECTS AND SFC DETECTOR SENSITIVITY LIMITATIONS. SUBSEQUENT PHASES OF THE INVESTIG IGATION WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED DETECTION SYSTEMS FOR SFC, BINARY PUMPING SYSTEMS, AND NEW CAPILLARY COLUMN COATINGS OPTIMIZED FOR SPECIFIC COMPOUND CLASSES WHICH ARE OF INTEREST TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTT ION AGENCY (EPA).