ABSTRACT
Chromatographic separation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography (GC) in combination with selective and sensitive detection methods have gained an enormous popularity in the analysis of compounds of pharmaceutical and environmental interest. Considerable efforts have been put into the development of on-line postchromatographic derivatization methods and reaction detectors. The use of analytical derivatization in GC analysis may be desirable for various reasons. The reasons for the introduction of a derivatization reaction in an analytical procedure were given earlier, but the definition of derivatization as a chemical manipulation of the analyte is not quite satisfactory. Derivatization reactions can be divided in labeling and nonlabeling reactions. Evaporation and heating are two different processes which can be combined easily in one system. An evaporation/heating device consists of an aluminum block with holes to allow the insertion of the reaction vials.
