A mass spectrum is a puzzle – learn to solve it systematically and report with confidence.
GC‑MS USERS
GOOD WORKING KNOWLEDGE
INTERMEDIATE
ISO 17025
- Designed for: users of GC‑MS equipment and anyone interested in structural elucidation by GC‑MS
- Ideal for analysts seeking to obtain high‑quality spectral data and interpret unknown spectra
- Prerequisite: good working knowledge of GC‑MS; basic organic chemistry advantageous but not essential
- Familiarity with data systems is beneficial
Learning outcomes
- Optimise instrument and method parameters to obtain high‑quality spectral data
- Understand ionisation and fragmentation mechanisms in GC‑MS
- Build an ‘Interpretation Toolkit’ with practice spectra and worked solutions
- Apply systematic spectral interpretation to unknowns and report results ISO 17025‑compliant
GC‑MS DATA ACQUISITION, PROCESSING, EXTRACTION, INTERPRETATION AND REPORTING ACCORDING TO ISO 17025
LIVE ONLINE INTERACTIVE SESSION · from raw data to defensible report
Starting from first principles, this course covers the fundamental chemistry of mass spectrometry and builds up to an examination of the most frequently encountered fragmentation patterns. Systematically analyse a mass spectrum to elucidate underlying structural information – and document everything for ISO 17025.
📊 GC‑MS DATA ACQUISITION & OPTIMIZATION
- Acquisition settings: resolution, scan types, data‑dependent acquisition
- Full‑scan vs. selected ion monitoring (SIM) – when to use each
- Sensitivity and detection limits – optimisation strategies
⚡ IONIZATION & FRAGMENTATION TECHNIQUES
- Electron ionization (EI) fragmentation pathways
- Using chemical ionization (CI) to determine molecular weight
- Soft ionization techniques for complex samples
🔇 SIGNAL OPTIMIZATION & NOISE REDUCTION
- Improving signal‑to‑noise ratio (S/N)
- Addressing matrix effects & background contamination
- Dealing with co‑elution and spectral deconvolution
🧩 GC‑MS SPECTRAL INTERPRETATION & STRUCTURAL ELUCIDATION
Understanding mass spectra
- Basics of mass spectral interpretation
- Identifying molecular ions vs. fragment ions
- Library searching (NIST, Wiley) for compound identification
Molecular ion identification & confirmation
- Isotopic patterns and adduct formation
- Molecular ion verification strategies
- Ring double bond equivalents (DBE) & empirical formula calculations
Advanced interpretation techniques
- Deconvolution of overlapping peaks
- Matching experimental spectra with library databases
- Understanding fragmentation patterns for structural elucidation
🌍 APPLICATION AREAS OF GC‑MS
- Environmental pollutant analysis
- Drug testing and toxicology
- Food safety and pesticide residue detection
- Metabolomics and biomarker discovery
🗣️ Q&A AND CLOSING DISCUSSION
- Summary of key concepts
- Open discussion on challenges faced in GC‑MS
- Resources for further learning
💻 ONLINE PRACTICAL COMPONENT
- Interactive spectral interpretation workshops with real unknowns
- Deconvolution and library matching exercises
- ISO 17025‑style report writing from a GC‑MS dataset
EI & CI fragmentation
ISO 17025 reporting
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