Electrospray mass spectrometric determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by detecting the π–π complexes with tropylium cation

Abstract

A method is presented for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by detecting the PAH–tropylium (π donor–π acceptor) complexes using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The complexes were formed by mixing with the tropylium cation after the separation of PAHs through reversed phase liquid chromatography. The detection limits, defined as three times the noise, in the selected-ion monitoring mode were 25–165 ng of the injected PAHs.