Headspace hanging drop liquid phase microextraction and GC-MS for the determination of linalool from evening primrose flowers

Headspace hanging drop liquid phase micro-extraction (HS-HD-LPME) is studied as a novel solvent-based sample pretreatment method for floral volatile aroma compounds. This paper reports on application of the HSHD-LPME combined with GC-MS for the analysis of linalool component emitted from evening primrose flowers. The effect of several variables on the method performance was investigated. Additionally, the separation of enantiomers on a cyclodextrin capillary column was performed to identify chirality of (-)-linalool component. Since the unsurpassed volume of a few micro-liters of solvent is used, there is minimal waste or exposure to toxic organic solvents. This method enables to combine extraction, enrichment, cleary-up, and sample introduction into a single step prior to the chromatographic process.