Chapter 6 – Use of gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques for the determination of nicotine and its metabolites

This chapter examines the application of gas chromatographic methods with emphasis on mass spectrometric detection for the determination of nicotine and its metabolites. The coupling of a high resolution separation technique, such as gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometry (MS), produces one of the most effective analytical tools used in chemistry today. Fundamental descriptions of GC and MS methodologies are presented in the chapter. Qualitative and quantitative strategies for GC–MS are discussed, and applications are presented to illustrate these points. GC is a highly suitable method for determination of nicotine, and has been employed for many years to measure nicotine concentrations in a variety of matrices. MS has been widely applied to the study of nicotine and its metabolites in biological samples. The coupling of mass spectrometry to GC seemed possible because both techniques were restricted to volatile samples.