ABSTRACT
F. W. Karasek and M. J. Cohen recognized the potential of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) as a detection method for gas chromatography as early as 1970. They demonstrated, through calculations, that gas flows and sensitivity requirements were compatible between a gas chromatograph and an ion mobility spectrometer. The ion mobility spectrometer was used primarily as an ion separation device after gas chromatographic introduction to provide additional qualitative information. Limitations of the chromatograph-ion mobility interface were identified during the course of this research. Two major technical problems were identified. First, the sensitivity of the ion mobility spectrometer was so high that contamination from column bleed, unseparated components or residual solvent could interfere with the response. And the cell volume of the ion mobility spectrometer was so large that losses in chromatographic resolution occurred during the detection process.
