GC-heart cut versus GCxGC: necessary choice or complementarity?

The two two-dimensional chromatography techniques are often pitted against each other. Yet they are highly complementary.

Although the ability to generate separation systems that increase peak capacity is the main objective in GC-GC, this technique has other advantages.

Firstly, it reduces analysis time. The analysis of complex mixtures, when carried out using a single column, requires long separation times, as the columns used are long. In addition, it is often necessary to perform several analyses on columns of different polarities, in order to eliminate co-elutions. This can make processing all the results long and tedious.

The use of GC-GC also increases capacity. The analysis of complex mixtures requires the use of columns with small internal diameters (0.25 – 0.1 μm). This can lead to difficulties when the...