separations Article Relationships in Gas Chromatography—Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy—Comprehensive and Multilinear Analysis Junaida Shezmin Zavahir 1 , Jamieson S. P. Smith 1, Scott Blundell 2, Habtewold D. Waktola 1 , Yada Nolvachai 1 , Bayden R. Wood 3 and Philip J. Marriott 1,* 1 Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia;
[email protected] (J.S.Z.);
[email protected] (J.S.P.S.);
[email protected] (H.D.W.);
[email protected] (Y.N.) 2 Monash Analytical Platform, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia;
[email protected] 3 Centre for Biospectroscopy, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +61-3-9905-9630; Fax: +61-3-9905-8501 Received: 13 April 2020; Accepted: 8 May 2020; Published: 13 May 2020 Abstract: Molecular spectroscopic detection techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), provides additional specificity for isomers where often mass spectrometry (MS) fails, due to similar fragmentation patterns. A hyphenated system of gas chromatography (GC) with FTIR via a light-pipe interface is reported in this study to explore a number of GC–FTIR analytical capabilities. Various compound classes were analyzed—aromatics, essential oils and oximes. Variation in chromatographic peak parameters due to the light-pipe was observed via sequentially-located flame ionization detection data. Unique FTIR spectra were observed for separated mixtures of essential oil isomers having similar mass spectra. Presentation of GC FTIR allows a × ‘comprehensive’-style experiment to be developed.