Use of trimethylsilyl and other homologous trialkylsilyl derivatives for the separation and characterization of mono- and dihydroxycannabinoids by combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

A gas chromatographic separation of dihydroxy- from monohydroxycannabinoids by the use of homologous trialkylsilyl derivatives is discussed. Trimethylsilyl derivatives produced a group of peaks containing both sets of compounds, sometimes poorly resolved, whereas by increasing the alkyl chain length to n-butyl complete fractionation into two groups, was achieved. The mass spectra of these derivatives resembled those of the trimethylsilyl derivatives with the addition of a set of ions resulting from estimation of the Si-alkyl chains as olefins.