Shimadzu Application book GC/GCMS

Significance of the topic

Gas chromatography and GC–mass spectrometry (GC/GCMS) are cornerstone techniques in modern analytical chemistry, offering unparalleled versatility, sensitivity and specificity. From clinical drug screening and forensic toxicology to environmental monitoring, food safety, polymer characterization and instrument development, GC/GCMS underpins critical decisions in public health, regulatory compliance and research and development.

Objectives and overview of the compendium

This application book presents a wide spectrum of Shimadzu GC/GCMS solutions, illustrating how state-of-the-art instrumentation and software address analytical challenges across multiple fields. Each section highlights method objectives, sample preparation strategies, instrumental setups and performance benchmarks.

Methodology and instrumentation used

All applications rely on capillary gas chromatography coupled to selective detectors (FID, ECD, FPD, NCI) or mass spectrometers (QP2010). Key hardware includes:

• GC-2010 gas chromatograph with Advanced Flow Control (AFC) and constant linear velocity mode
• GCMS-QP2010 quadrupole mass spectrometer, up to 10 000 amu/s scan rate
• AOC-20i/s and AOC-5000 autosamplers for liquid, headspace and SPME sampling
• PTV injector Optic 3 for large volume, split/splitless, on-column, DTD/DMI injections
• Py-2020iD pyrolyzer with MicroJet Cryo-Trap for direct polymer and additive analysis
• LabSolutions software suite (GCsolution, GCMSsolution) providing GLP/GMP-compliant data management, user administration, audit trails, electronic signatures and LIMS integration

Main results and discussion

Drug and clinical chemistry: GCMS assays quantify steroid hormones, illicit stimulants (e.g., ecstasy and designer analogues) and therapeutic drugs with femtogram sensitivity and unequivocal MS confirmation.
TLC/MS interface: offline coupling of thin-layer spots to GCMS via direct inlet yields rapid, information-rich analyses without extensive sample prep.
Fast-GC methods: narrow-bore, thin-film capillary columns and high-speed oven programming reduce analysis times by up to 16× while retaining high resolution and spectral quality.
Environmental analysis: methods for oil-in-water (DIN H53), BTEX and aldehydes in water and textiles, organophosphorus and organochlorine pesticide trace analysis (down to fg levels via NCI), chemical warfare degradation products and large-volume (100–500 µL) PTV injections demonstrate robustness and compliance with regulatory norms.
Environmental hygiene: SPME headspace quantifies volatile aldehydes in printed textiles; biodiesel QC by GC-FID/ECD determines FAME profiles, methanol and glycerol species; indoor air monitoring of VOCs uses fast-GCMS.
Food analysis: MD-GC for essential oil profiling; GC-GC systems heart-cut resin blanks; fast FAME QC in fats and oils; HS-SPME-GC-MS for allergen and exotic fruit aroma fingerprinting.
Polymer analysis: Py-GCMS and EGA libraries enable rapid screening of polymers, additives and contaminants with microgram samples and automated software identification.
Software and data management: LabSolutions with 21 CFR Part 11-compliant features, OLE automation for Excel workflows, CLASS-Agent for networked data archiving and retrieval.

Benefits and practical applications

• High throughput and productivity: Fast-GC and large-volume injections dramatically increase sample throughput.
• Enhanced sensitivity and selectivity: femtogram-level detection, NCI and cryo-trapping expand trace analysis capabilities.
• Flexibility: versatile injection modes (split/splitless, on-column, pyrolysis, SPME) suit diverse matrices.
• GLP/GMP compliance: integrated validation, audit trails, user management and electronic signatures secure data integrity.
• Automated workflows: OLE interfaces and Excel macros simplify method setup, batch creation and report generation.

Future trends and potential uses

Accelerating adoption of fast chromatographic separations, multidimensional GC, real-time process monitoring and advanced data analytics will drive next-generation applications. Integration of high-resolution MS, automated sample prep (robotics, SPME), real-time environmental and food screening, and deeper LIMS harmonization will further streamline workflows and broaden GC/GCMS impact in industry and research.

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s comprehensive GC/GCMS platform—combining high-speed hardware, sensitive detectors, versatile sample handling and powerful software—addresses the full spectrum of analytical challenges. By leveraging these integrated solutions, laboratories can achieve rapid, robust, and fully compliant analyses across clinical, environmental, food, polymer, and quality assurance domains.

References

Not applicable as this summary is based on instrument application notes rather than peer-reviewed literature.

Instrumental analysis used

• Shimadzu GC-2010 gas chromatograph
• Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 quadrupole mass spectrometer
• AOC-20i/s and AOC-5000 autosamplers
• PTV injector Optic 3
• Py-2020iD pyrolyzer with MicroJet Cryo-Trap
• LabSolutions software (GCsolution, GCMSsolution, CLASS-Agent)