Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

We currently have three Gas chromatographs (not including Marilyn Fogel’s Varian 3400 interfaced with her isotope ratio mass spectrometer).  George Cody inherited from the late Tom Hoering a very nice Varian 3400 GC with both programmable and Grob type injectors.  Detectors include dual FID’s and an electron capture sulfur detector.  We have also inherited Paul (Ed) Hare’s Agilent 5890 series GC interfaced with a 5972 mass sensitive detector.  Upon arriving at the Geophysical Laboratory George Cody purchased an Agilent 6890 series GC and mass spectrometer.  This instrument includes a chemical ionization source (a very useful source when unambiguous identification of molecular ions is required-note…I have only used this source three times as in most cases the molecular ion is clearly indicated, but for those cases where all else failed this source was well worth the cost- which was not cheap!).  This instrument is the primary workhorse for our ongoing studies in organic synthesis under high pressure moderate temperature hydrothermal conditions.

Augmenting the Agilent 6890 is a CDS 1000 pyroprobe with heated injector interface.  This is a very handy accessory providing pyrolytic analysis of organic solids (maximum heating rate is 500 °C/second up to temperatures in excess of 1000 °C).  We currently the pyroprobe for studies involving ancient biomacromolecules, extraterrestrial organic solids, and experimental studies of the formation of extraterrestrial solids.