Perfumes are complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that humans have been exposed to for centuries, therefore, understanding them provides insight into how the perception of scent has evolved over time and which materials were used in historical perfume production.
Using commercial perfumes, I have optimized a method for analysing VOCs by Thermal Desorption coupled with Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-MS), which can be used for studying historical perfumes in museum collections. The developed method was used for the analysis of a perfume with trace residue, with no liquid perfume remaining, where the analysis confirmed the presence of most of the VOCs listed by the manufacturer. The optimal sampling time was investigated both for liquid perfume samples and for samples present in the bottle only as traces of VOCs in the gas phase. The aim of the work was also to assess the relevance of the newer HiSorb sampling technique in comparison with the well-established SPME technique. HiSorb proved to be a better option for storing samples over longer periods of time, whereas SPME demonstrated better repeatability of the analytical results and the ability to detect a greater number of VOCs.
|
