Chloroformates in gas chromatography as general purpose derivatizing agents

Chloroformates with simplest alkyls, i.e. methyl, ethyl or isobutyl, already known as favourable reagents for treating amino groups in gas chromatography for years, were revealed randomly as exceptionally rapid esterification agents. Unlike the rather poor results achieved with chloroformate-mediated ester formation in organic chemistry, the pyridine-catalyzed esterification of carboxylic acids appeared to proceed at the analytical microscale smoothly. Along with the catalyzer, an alcohol should also be present in the medium, accompanied by acetonitrile or water, according to the character of the compounds treated. Reaction conditions were optimized for various classes of carboxylic acids and a uniquely rapid derivatization of amino acids in aqueous ethanol was shown to be possible. Most of the analytes, e.g. acidic metabolites in physiological fluids, could be treated directly in the aqueous matrix. A simultaneous analysis of, e.g., amino and fatty acids or amines and their acidic catabolytes was proven to be possible. Along with the low-molecular-mass reagents, still some others, i.e, the hexyl, menthyl or pentafluorobenzyl ones, found their application fields. Results of optimized reaction conditions and a wide range of applications of chloroformate-mediated derivatization in various disciplines have been summarized in this review. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.