Comparison of the performance of forward fill/flush and reverse fill/flush flow modulation in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography.

The performances of forward flow fill and flush (FFF) and of reverse flow fill and flush (RFF) in flow modulated comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) using the same volume of the sampling channel have been studied and compared. Sample models include a reference mixture of hydrocarbons at low concentration, a petroleum reformate product and the essential oil of Rosa damascena Miller. The latter samples contain solutes in different concentrations but some up to 30% allowing to study overloading phenomena in detail. For solutes injected at low quantity, the performance of FFF and RFF is similar. For solutes present in a sample at high quantity, RFF guarantees less broadening and spreading resulting in better quantitation.