Polychlorobiphenyls differentiation and identification by gas chromatography/fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Reference infrared vapour phase spectra of 20 polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) have been obtained by gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (GC/FTIR). These spectra are consistent with those of PCB obtained by diffuse reflectance IR spectroscopy (DRIFT) and with those of more simple molecular structures (iodochlorobenzenes, 1-bromodichlorobenzenes). The IR frequencies of the GC/FTIR spectra of PCB are assigned in terms of substitution patterns. This work shows that GC/FTIR can be a good approach for differentiation and identification of PCB in complex mixtures.