Quantitative high-resolution gas chromatographic determination of stereoisomeric composition of chiral volatile compounds in the picogram range by ec-detection

A gas chromatographic method using electron capture detection for determination of the stereochemical composition of chiralolatile compounds, e.g., pheromones, at the picogram level is described. Substances of interest are analyzed as pentafluorobenzoate derivatives on fused silica capillary columns coated with CP Sil-88. This method was developed primarily for the quantitative analyses of stereoisomerism of the pheromone precursor, diprionol, in female sawflies,Neodiprion sertifer. It was possible to separate the stereoisomers showing (2S, 3S, 7R) and (2S, 3S, 7S) configurations. Resolution of the (2S, 3S, 7S)- and (2S, 3R, 7R)-diastereomers was high enough to allow the quantification of these stereoisomers. A quantitative analysis of the diprionol production in individualN. sertifer females yielded 7.5–9.7 ng/female.