Use of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to identify materials separated on high-performance thin-layer chromatography plates

Abstract

A technique for the identification of components separated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) is described. The method does not require any extraction procedure between the two analytical steps. The advantages of this approach are that smaller samples are required, the analysis time is shorter and there are less opportunities for contamination to occur than with conventional extraction methods. The differences in the quality of HPTLC plates from different sources are noted. Examples are given of the use of the technique for the identification of surfactants in mixed systems and the detection of amine antioxidants in gas oils at levels below 20 ng µl^–1.