Optimizing Splitless Injections in Gas Chromatography, Part III: Setting Up and Optimizing the Inlet

In the first two parts of this series, we explored the rationales by which splitless injection is most commonly used for trace quantitative analysis, and the band broadening and focusing mechanisms that impact our ability to effectively perform splitless injections. In this installment, we will discuss techniques for setting up the inlet and connections for optimized injections. We will examine the connections, including septum nut, glass liner, and column connections, along with column installation and gas flow setting. While this review is not comprehensive, we see that some general principles can guide inlet setup efforts and ensure successful, rugged, and reproducible splitless injection-based methods.