The TOFWERK IMS-TOF enables rapid separation of isomeric compounds even in complex mixtures.
The characteristic aroma and flavor of many of our most beloved drinks – such as beer, whisky and coffee – have strong dependence on the relative concentrations of constituent compounds. These beverages contain a rich array of molecules, many of which exist as isomeric mixtures. Subtle changes in the ratio of such isomers can significantly affect the palatability of a beverage.
Currently, analysis of flavor and aroma compounds is commonly carried out by GC-MS. Even though GC-MS techniques can exhibit high separation power, they lack speed due to sometimes cumbersome sample separation and analysis times of usually more than 30 minutes. The TOFWERK IMS-TOF exhibits comparable separation power but only a fraction of the time is needed. In many cases, beverages can just be diluted in an appropriate solvent and directly injected for analysis (“dilute-and-shoot”), with analyses not taking longer than a couple of minutes.
Here we show examples of such a direct analysis for beer and whisky. In both cases, separation of cis and trans oriented isomers which have strong influence on the taste of these beverages is achieved.
