INVESTIGATING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY rev 8/12

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1 EXPERIMENT 2 INVESTIGATING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY rev 8/12 GOAL In this experiment, you will measure and analyze the chromatogram of a mixture of seven compounds using a Vernier Mini GC. You will then vary the temperature-pressure profile and determine the best profile to obtain the best possible chromatographic separation of the mixture. INTRODUCTION Gas chromatography is a technique widely used to separate complex mixtures of substances. Compounds are separated by traveling through a coated column and typically separate based on size and intermolecular interactions. If a compound tends to "stick" to the column through intermolecular interactions, it takes a long time to emerge. Substances that pass quickly through the column tend to have few intermolecular interactions with the column. The Vernier Mini Gas Chromatograph (GC) uses a metal column where the inside of the column is coated with the stationary phase. A sample, consisting of one or more compounds, is injected into the column and is pushed through by air, which acts as the mobile phase. Organic compounds flowing out of the chromatography column are seen as a peak on a chromatogram, as seen in Figure 1. The amount of time it takes for a compound to exit the column after it is injected is called the retention time. With a GC, a compound can be identified from a mixture of chemicals by its retention time. Figure 1: Sample gas chromatogram Several factors can affect the interaction of a compound with the GC. More volatile compounds (i.e., compounds with a lower boiling point) tend to move through the column faster because

2 they are flowing in the mobile phase and interacting very little with the stationary phase. The functional groups present on the compound are also a factor. For example, alcohols may interact with a polar stationary phase more than esters because alcohols can form strong hydrogen bonds. Table 1 shows some of the common functional groups and the associated classes of compounds. The molecular weight of a compound can also play a role, although it is not a simple matter of saying that the heavier the molecule the slower it will travel through a GC column. Table 1. Some Common Functional Groups Compound Class Functional Group Example Name Alcohols R OH CH 3 CH 2 OH Ethanol Ethers CH 3 CH 2 O CH 2 CH 3 Diethyl ether Aldehydes Ethanal (acetaldehyde) Ketones 2-Butanone Carboxylic Acids Ethanoic acid (acetic acid) Esters Methyl acetate In this experiment, you will gain experience with the Vernier Mini GC by running a known sample through the unit. The sample contains seven compounds that will separate under the proper conditions. You will test this one mixture of compounds repeatedly and vary the profile of the Mini GC operation to obtain the best possible separation of this mixture. MATERIALS Vernier Mini GC Vial of a mixture containing: Computer Methanol Logger Pro 3 Acetone 1 L glass syringe Methyl ethyl ketone Kimwipes or paper towel Ethyl acetate Vial of acetone for cleaning Propyl acetate 2-Pentanone 4-Methyl-2-pentanone

3 PRE-LAB EXERCISE Complete the table below in your lab notebook. Compound methanol acetone methyl ethyl ketone ethyl acetate propyl acetate 2-pentanone 4-methyl-2-pentanone Boiling point ( C) Molecular weight Compound class Functional group PROCEDURE 1. At each Mini GC station you will find a glass syringe, a vial of acetone, and a vial containing the mixture to be tested. The acetone will be used to clean the syringe. Important: The glass syringe is fragile and can be easily damaged. Be careful not to bend the needle or bend the plunger. If the plunger is accidentally pulled out of the glass barrel, reinserting it is extremely difficult, sometimes impossible. 2. Prepare the Vernier Mini GC for data collection. a. In the Logger Pro program, choose New from the File menu. b. Click Collect to bring up the Temperature-Pressure profile. c. Set the Temperature-Pressure values according to the settings listed for Run 1: Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Run 4 Run 5 Run 6 Start temperature 85 C 85 C 65 C 35 C 35 C 35 C Hold time 10 min 10 min 10 min 3 min 3 min 3 min Ramp rate 1 C/min 1 C/min 1 C/min 10 C/min 10 C/min 10 C/min Final temperature 85 C 85 C 65 C 65 C 65 C 65 C Hold time 0 min 0 min 0 min 7 min 1 min 4 min Total length 10.0 min 10.0 min 10.0 min 13.0 min 7.0 min 10.0 min Pressure 9.0 kpa 7.0 kpa 7.0 kpa 7.0 kpa 4.0 kpa 7.0 kpa

4 d. Select Done to initiate the Mini GC warm up. Note: A new message will appear, Do not inject until GC is ready, and the LED on the Mini GC is red. The Mini GC will take a few minutes to warm up and stabilize. When the Mini GC is ready for injection in Step 7, the message will read, Inject and select Collect simultaneously, and the LED will turn to green. Continue with Step 4 during warm up. 4. Follow the steps below to clean and flush the syringe with acetone. Important: The glass syringe is fragile. Be careful not to bend the needle or bend the plunger. Never pull the plunger back more than 50% of its total volume. Be careful not to bend the plunger as you press it down. a. Depress the plunger fully. b. Submerge the tip of the syringe needle into the vial of acetone. c. Pull back the plunger to fill the barrel about 1/3 full of acetone. Examine the barrel of the syringe and estimate the amount of acetone in the barrel. d. Expel the liquid onto a Kimwipe or a paper towel. e. Repeat Steps a d at least two times, until you are comfortable pulling up a liquid into the syringe and measuring the volume in the syringe barrel. Use a Kimwipe or a paper towel to carefully pat around the tip of the syringe needle. 5. Follow the process in Step 4 to clean and flush the syringe with the mixture. 6. Collect a volume of the mixture for injection. a. Submerge the needle into the vial of mixture one last time. b. Draw up approximately 0.2 L of liquid. It is not critical that the volume be exactly 0.2 L; a tiny bit more or less volume is all right. c. After collecting your sample, gently wipe the needle from barrel to tip, with a Kimwipe. Figure 2 7. Prepare for injection and the start of data collection. It is important for you and your lab partner to divide the tasks in this step. One person will operate the syringe and the other person will operate the computer controls. a. When the Mini GC has reached the correct start temperature and pressure, the message reads, Inject and select Collect simultaneously, and the LED on the Mini GC is green. b. To insert the needle of the syringe into the injection port of the Mini GC, hold the syringe with one hand and steady the needle with your other hand. Insert the needle into the injection port until the needle stop is fully seated, as shown in Figure 3. If the needle sticks, rotate it slightly while inserting. Do not move the plunger yet. c. Simultaneously, depress the syringe plunger and select Collect to begin data collection. Pull the needle out of the injection port immediately. Figure 3 8. While the data collection proceeds, repeat Step 4 to thoroughly clean the syringe and needle. It may take more than three flushes to feel the syringe plunger move smoothly again, which is your indicator that the syringe and needle are both suitably clean.

5 9. Data collection will end after 10 minutes. 10. Analyze your chromatogram and write your comments in your lab notebook. Consider these points when you make your comments: How long does it take for all of the peaks to appear? How well are the peaks separated from each other? How sharp are the peaks? Create a table to organize your results. Your table should include headings such as Run number, Number of peaks, Retention time of the final peak, Degree of peak separation, and All peaks present? (Y/N) You will need this information to help you answer the questions at the end of the lab. Take detailed notes. 11. When you have data that you consider to be good, store the data by choosing Store Latest Run from the Experiment menu in Logger Pro. The data will appear in the background on your next run. If the run does not give good results you do not need to store the data. 12. Change the temperature/pressure profile for the next run. a. Click Collect in Logger Pro to bring up the Temperature-Pressure profile. Change the parameters to match the information for Run 2, given in Step 3. Click OK to initiate the Mini GC profile. b. While the Mini GC adjusts to its new Temperature-Pressure profile, repeat Steps 5 and 6. c. After the Mini GC is ready, repeat Steps 7 11 using your sample. d. If the data is better than what you stored you can hide the previous run. Choose Hide Data Set under the Data menu. Select the run to be hidden. Now only the latest run should appear on your graph. 13. Repeat Step 12 until you have completed Run 6. Print the graph that shows the run with the best data. Go to File and Print Graph. Be sure to hide all of the other runs before printing and label your printout with the appropriate run number. 14. Devise your own operating conditions to optimize the performance of the Mini GC with your mixture. Write these new settings in your data table and get your instructor s OK before conducting your test. The chart below shows the available range for each setting. Parameter Temperature Ramp rate Pressure Range C 1 10 C 1 20 kpa 15. Repeat the necessary steps to conduct your test. Time permitting, you may wish to test a different set of parameters to further optimize your results. Print the chromatogram of your optimized run. 16. When you have completed your final data-collection run, turn off the Mini GC and clean up your lab area as directed.

6 FOR YOUR LAB REPORT 1. The different runs in this experiment manipulated several variables: initial temperature, hold time at initial temperature, whether temperature was increased from the initial temperature, and the pressure of gas moving through the column. In a couple of well written paragraphs, describe the specific effects that each variable has on the appearance of your chromatogram (the shapes of peaks, the time required for peaks to come off the column, and how well separated the peaks are). Make general statements about the effect of each variable. Support each general statement by citing specific trials to compare and specific results of those trials. 2. The final trial you ran used the set of conditions you thought would do the best job of separating the components of your mixture. Explain how you chose these conditions. Describe how well the separation worked. If any peaks remained slightly overlapped, describe how you could change the conditions to get a better separation. Explain your reasoning. 3. If we had run samples of each of the pure components in your mixture, we could have shown that they came off in this order: methanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, 2- pentanone, propyl acetate, and 4-methyl-2-pentanone. Look back at the table of structures, molar masses, and boiling points that you prepared for the prelab. Re-read the section of the introduction that describes the interactions between compounds and the GC column. Describe how boiling point and molar mass are generally related to the time required for a compound to come off the GC column. Do you see any exceptions to the general trend you found? If so, what do you notice about the bonded groups (functional groups) in these exception molecules? Attach your printed chromatograms to your lab report.