Use of heart cutting in gas chromatography: A review

Abstract The techniques used for heart cutting between both packed and capillary columns are reviewed. Two packed columns in series with different stationary phases and heart cutting between them are shown to have a much greater separating power than a single capillary column. The source of this separating power is identified and problems where the use of a single capillary column is appropriate are contrasted with problems where the use of heart cutting is appropriate. The use of the technique to remove a solvent or major component so that trace components are not eluted on tails is also described.