A new method using water as a stationary phase in capillary GC has been described. Through hydrating and applying backpressure to the phase, stable operation can be obtained over time at vari- ous temperatures. While stationary phase retention is reasonably consistent with analyte water solubility, it has little reliance upon analyte volatility. Non-polar analytes are relatively little retained. These properties are useful for directly analyzing organic and aque- ous samples for polar analyte content. The results indicate that this approach could provide an interesting alternative tool for capillary GC separations.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Natural Science and Engineer- ing Research Council of Canada for a Discovery Grant in support of this work. Jillian Murakami is also gratefully acknowledged for her helpful assistance.