Construction of an Arduino and Raspberry Pi-based Thermal Controller and Desorber as an Accessory for GC-MS

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 24 (2019) pp 62-65

Construction of an Arduino and Raspberry Pi-based Thermal Controller and Desorber as an Accessory for GC-MS

Dylan T. Holden, Leobardo Rodriguez-Segura, Michael A. Guckavan, and Garth E. Patterson*

Department of Chemistry, Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727, gpatterson@msmary.edu
Received January 13, 2019. Accepted February 22, 2019.

Published: 15 April 2019

Abstract. A temperature control and desorption system was developed to assist in collection of vapor phase samples for GC-MS analysis. The GC-MS (Griffin 450) utilized for this experiment incorporates a direct vapor preconcentration system that bypasses the traditional liquid injection port. An external thermal stabilization system and desorber was constructed using a Raspberry Pi 2 single board computer and Arduino Uno microcontroller to quickly and accurately control the temperature of samples before transfer to the head of the GC column. This development allows for increased ease-of-use and reliability of measurements when performing in situ analyses with samples containing a high proportion of semi-to-nonvolatile chemical species and also offers a more affordable desorption system than current competitors.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; analytic chemistry; GC-MS

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: gpatterson@msmary.edu)

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