Chromatography Forum

Hi,

I tried to analyse a toluene extract of fullerene soot by high temperature GC-FID; unfortunately without success...

I used a 30m Inferno column (phase similar to DB-1) with He & ramped from 60 with 10/min to 200, then 5/min to 430 and held isotherm for 40 minutes. Inj. & FID were both at 400. Splitless Injection.

With similat T-programmes, others were able to detect n-alkanes up to I believe C100! A C60 fullerene should theoretically elute before nC60...

Does anyone have an idea what might be going wrong here?

Many thanks in advance,
Chris

Do you know the temperature stability and reactivity of fullerenes?

I don't so I cannot help you answer the question but the answer to that question may be the answer to your question.

I hope that made sense. It is late tonight.

best wishes,

Rod

I know that they're fairly T stable. They're formed at high energies so I suppose that 430 C in a GC oven would not harm them.
I'm not fully sure about the reactivity, but they're basically a carbon ball, and their reactivity (on theoretical considerations) shouldn't be significantly higher than that of other higher-molecular weight PAH such as eg coronene, which GC very well...