Distribution coefficients of aliphatic alcohols, carbonyl compounds and esters between air and Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber coating Original Research Article

Lower aliphatic carbonyl compounds, esters and alcohols were found in open atmosphere, as well as in volatiles of microorganisms, living plants and leaf litter. Quantitative determination of their emissions into the gas phase with the aid of solid phase microextraction (SPME) requires the knowledge of their distribution coefficients Kfg between fiber coating and gas phase. This paper reports the results of experimental determination of Kfg values for 17 volatiles belonging to the above-mentioned classes of organic compounds. Mixed Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane stationary phase, which proved to be effective during SPME determination of more volatile pollutants, was chosen as the fiber coating. Values Kfg were determined at temperature range 15–30 °C, which permitted the dependence between log Kfg and T−1 to be determined. Distribution coefficients for 23 other compounds from the same homologue series were calculated using two-parameter empirical equation, where physico-chemical parameters of compounds (boiling temperature, linear temperature programmed retention index) served as descriptors.