By
F.W. Karasek
R.E. Clement, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Description
The book begins by covering the basic principles of both gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) to the extent necessary to
understand and deal with the data generated in a GC-MS analysis. The focus then turns to the particular requirements created by a direct
combination of these two techniques into a single instrumentation system. The data generated and their use are covered in detail. The
role of the computer and its specific software receives special attention, especially in the matter of compound identification via mass
spectral search techniques. GC-MS-computer instrumentation has reached such a plateau of excellence today that the present commercial
systems will not be obsolete for a long time to come. Therefore, a detailed description of these systems is not only informative but
is also pertinent to the subject matter of this book. Finally, representative applications and results obtained with GC-MS-computer
techniques are presented and chosen in such a way as to permit extrapolation of specific applications to similar problems encountered
by the reader. To aid the reader in mastering the subject matter and increase understanding, interpretation problems and suggested readings
are included. The format is instructional, informative and application-oriented with material presented in such a way as to be useful
to a broad spectrum of people.
The book serves as a text in its own right.
The software package Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry:
A Knowledge Base, by F.A. Settle, Jr. and M.A. Pleva provides rapid access to a wealth of current information in the GC-MS field. Its
three diskettes (5
1/
4 inch) allow the user three ways to access: the index mode, the tree mode and a keyword search
mode. The package may be purchased separately and is available for the IBM-PC and compatibles.
The software provides a valuable supplement
to the book.
