System stability and signal enhancement with analyte protectants: Gas chromatography analysis of oxygenated-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Matrix effects can affect detection limits, precision, and accuracy and lead to signal enhancement or suppression effects in gas chromatography analysis. Analyte protectants, such as shikimic acid and gluconolactone, can imitate the effect of matrix components and reduce the differences in matrix effect between samples. This study aimed to investigate the ability of analyte protectants to enhance gas chromatography detector signals of different oxygenated-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Addition of 100 μg L−1 shikimic acid and 200 μg L−1 gluconolactone effectively enhanced detector response of the investigated target compounds. Addition of a higher content of analyte protectants did not result in any further enhancement. It was found that between four and eleven consecutive injections of a standard solution with analyte protectants were required to obtain a stable compound response. The long-term signal stability was then maintained with subsequent injections, though an overall negative drift of the system was observed over the sequence of 200 investigated injections. Analysis of the actual sample matrix instead of standards in pure solvent, as presented in this study, could also be a way to minimize the required number of injections. Shikimic acid and gluconolactone were first and foremost able to enhance signals of oxygenated-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with similar functional groups (hydroxyl) in their molecular structure. It can be relevant to consider alternative analyte protectants with different functional groups according to the type of target compounds investigated. [Display omitted] •Preparation of APs in methanol with subsequent spiking into toluene-based samples.•Long-term stability obtained after four to eleven injections for all STDs.•Long-term stability was compound specific and can be explained by chemical structure.•Molecular similarity between STDs and APs result in largest enhancement effects.•Maximal signal observed using two-thirds of prior recommended AP concentration.