ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses gas chromatography (GC) and inverse GC with a carrier gas as the mobile phase. A suitable separation column is required with high separation efficiency, as well as optimal operating conditions. All of these problems can be solved according to the plate and speed theories. The chapter also discusses chromatography performed under isothermal operating conditions, which are suitable for a sample containing few components with a narrow range of boiling points. After a sample is injected into a GC instrument, its components are eluted and individually detected. Qualitative analysis appears to be straightforward in that the unknown sample can be identified by the mere comparison of its retention time with that of a reference. In inverse GC, the retention time of a probe comprises three parts: adsorption on the polymer surface; dissolution of, and diffusion into, the polymer coating; and further adsorption on the support surface.
