Determination of the Kovats

Retention Index
Prof. Dr. Eduardo Miranda Ethur
Universidade do Vale do Taquari
Univates
Gas Chromatography-Mass
Spectrometry (GC-MS).

GC - MS
Inject the Essential Oil sample in appropriated
columns and conditions.
Chromatogram (1)
Inject a series of hydrocarbon (in this case from C8
to C30), at the same column and condition.
Chromatogram (2)

C30

C25
C20
C10 C15
 Kovats retention index formula:

Where:
• RI = retention index of “i”
• i = constituent of essential oil that is being analyzed
• n = carbon number of the alkane which elutes before “i”
• m = number of carbons of the alkane which elutes after “i”
• tri = retention time of “i”
• trn = retention time of the alkane which elutes before “i”
• trm = retention time of the alkane which elutes after “i”
For this example we select the range of 4 to 15
minutes of the chromatogram (1).
.

Expansion of the chromatogram (1), between 4

and 15 minutes.
Selection of the same range of the chromatogram
(1) in the chromatogram (2).

C30

C25
C20
C10 C15
Expansion of the chromatogram (2), between 4
and 15 minutes.

C9
C10 C11 C12
 Comparison (software or co-injection) of the
mixture of n-alkanes and essential oil, in the region
of 4 to 15 minutes, and selection of "i".

i?

n
C9 m
C10
 Experimental Data:

Kovats retention index for "i"

= 978

Mass Espectra (MS) of the “i”

Inglês

Comparing the mass spectrum with the literature:

Option 1

Option 2
Comparing the retention index of Kovats with
the mass spectrum we have:
Experimental RI = 978

Experimental MS

Both MS and RI
correspond to the
b-Pinene

Note: KI is "Kovats index", the same as RI used in this presentation

 References:
• ADAMS, R.P., 2017. Identification of Essential Oil Components by
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, ed. 4.1.
http://essentialoilcomponentsbygcms.com/
• Vandendool, H. and Kratz, P.D. (1963) A generalization of the
retention index system including linear temperature programmed
gas-liquid partition chromatography. J Chromatogr 11, 463-471.

Thanks!
eduardome@univates.br