Chromatography Forum

Anyone have any advice on trying to extract for Methylamine/Ethylamine/Propylamine? We currently run water samples directly and the RL's aren't very impressive. I'm hoping to extract but have been failing. I tried Hexane/THF (added salt to pull solvent out) and DCM with no success at all basically.

Anyone have any solvent/condition suggestions?

Strong cationexchange, for example oasis mcx?

What do you mean by "directly"? Is it injection of liquid water samples, or headspace?

What do you mean by "directly"? Is it injection of liquid water samples, or headspace?

Sorry, water directly.

Strong cationexchange, for example oasis mcx?

I'll have to contact them, I didn't think of trying cation exchange because of super low boiling point of Methylamine.

I would consider a headspace GC analysis

Try to add strong basics to water & hexane extraction or water & headspace.

I would consider derivatizing with one of the chloroformates probably propyl and propanol for best LOD. Chloroformates work really well for amines and derivatize in aqueous solutions which can then be extracted with chloroform/isooctane and give better chromatography.

Do chloroformates work with tertiary amines? I'm specifically interested in trimethyl and triethyl amine. Do you have a link to any articles that give the details of the derivatization procedure ie solvent ratios, reaction conditions, etc?

Thanks,
Dave

no It only does primary and I think secondary. There is no room to make a carbamate on a tertiary amine.