PAL Smart SPME Arrow

• Rugged, stainless-steel construction ensures longer lifetimes.
• Faster extraction means higher sample throughput.
• Better sensitivity allows lower LODs.
• Choose format based on sampling technique:
  • 1.1 mm sleeve, if only using headspace sampling.
  • 1.5 mm wide sleeve, if using direct immersion sampling (works for headspace, too).
• Now with Smart technology—each SPME Arrow is equipped with a unique Smart chip containing parameters, ranges, and usage history.

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is a fast, automated sample preparation technology that reduces sample handling, extraction time, and solvent consumption, making it a popular choice in environmental, food, and clinical laboratories. However, traditional SPME fiber technology has some significant drawbacks, including poor mechanical stability and a small phase volume.

The PAL Smart SPME Arrow system is a revolutionary change in microextraction that combines exceptional robustness with faster extraction times and trace-level sensitivity (Table I). In contrast to traditional SPME fibers, SPME Arrows contain significantly more phase volume, which allows more target analyte to be extracted in less time. In addition, the stainless-steel construction, unique Arrow tip, inner stabilizing rod, and outer sheath design fully protect the phase, minimizing both mechanical damage and analyte loss during sample transfer.

Table I: Comparing Restek PAL SPME Arrow to Traditional SPME Fiber (Headspace Technique)

On Target: Longer Lifetime

One of the main drawbacks to SPME fibers is their fragility. Even during routine use, they are easily damaged and can be irreparably broken (Figure 1). Busy labs will benefit greatly from the reliability of the rugged Restek PAL Smart SPME Arrow. The unique, stainless-steel Arrow design includes a robust inner stabilizing rod that resists bending and breakage as well as an outer sheath that protects the phase coating and prevents both physical damage and analyte loss. Typically, SPME Arrows perform well for hundreds of extractions, lasting two to three times longer than traditional SPME fibers. In addition, the unique arrow-shaped tip pierces the septum cleanly and with little resistance, extending septum lifetime (Figure 2).

Which Restek PAL SPME Arrow is best for my application?

Restek PAL Smart SPME Arrows are suitable for a wide range of analyte chemistries and sample matrices. They are suitable for manual injection and are fully backwards compatible with any generation of PAL3 Systems. Choose the best SPME Arrow for your application based on the properties of your target compounds. Note that a GC inlet conversion kit is required in order to use a Restek PAL SPME Arrow.

• Trace analysis in foodstuffs
• Drugs and pharmaceuticals
• Herbicides/pesticides
• Medical diagnostics
• Trace impurities in polymers and solid samples
• Solvent residues in raw materials
• Water analysis (organics in water)

On Target: Higher Sample Throughput

Restek PAL Smart SPME Arrows provide much faster extraction times than traditional SPME fibers because Arrows have much more phase volume. As shown in Figure 3, the increased phase volume allows more target analyte to be extracted in just seconds using an Arrow than can be extracted from a traditional fiber. Being able to extract what you need in a fraction of the time means more samples can be analyzed per day, which improves lab efficiency and profitability. The example in Table II demonstrates a nearly 50% increase in productivity!

Table II: Analyze more samples per day with Restek PAL SPME Arrow.

 Note: Processes that take <10 sec to perform were omitted from the table. Actual samples per day is dependent on GC cycle time.

On Target: Lower Detection Limits

Developing a new method or trying to improve the performance of an existing one? Restek PAL Smart SPME Arrows have more phase volume, so they provide much greater sensitivity than traditional fibers. To demonstrate this, 82 volatile compounds were analyzed under three different headspace extraction time and extraction volume combinations. Results under all experimental conditions definitively show that Arrow outperforms traditional SPME fiber and provides much higher analyte responses (Table III and Figure 4).

Table III: Analyte response is much higher with SPME Arrow than with a traditional SPME fiber.

Column	Rtx-VMS, 30 m, 0.25 mm ID, 1.40 µm (cat.# 19915)
Standard/Sample	2-Chloroethyl vinyl ether (cat.# 30265)
	8260 MegaMix calibration mix (cat.# 30633)
	8260 Surrogate mix (cat.# 30073)
	VOA calibration mix #1 (ketones) (cat.# 30006)
	California oxygenates mix (cat.# 30465)
	502.2 Calibration mix #1 (gases) (cat.# 30042)
	8260 Internal standard mix (cat.# 30074)
Diluent:	Water
Conc.:	50 ng/mL
Injection	split (split ratio 10:1)
Liner:	Topaz 1.8 mm ID straight/SPME inlet liner (cat.# 23280)
Inj. Temp.:	250 °C
Oven
Oven Temp.:	40 °C (hold 1 min) to 100 °C at 12 °C/min (hold 0 min) to 240 °C at 25 °C/min (hold 1.6 min)
Carrier Gas	He, constant flow
Flow Rate:	1.0 mL/min
Linear Velocity:	44.411 cm/sec @ 40 °C

Detector	MS
Mode:	Scan
Scan Program:
Group Start Time (min) Scan Range (amu) Scan Rate (scans/sec) 1 0 35-226 12.1
Transfer Line Temp.:	250 °C
Analyzer Type:	Quadrupole
Source Type:	Extractor
Extractor Lens:	3 mm ID
Source Temp.:	300 °C
Quad Temp.:	150 °C
Electron Energy:	70.0 eV
Tune Type:	manual
Ionization Mode:	EI
Instrument	Agilent 7890B GC & 5977A MSD
Acknowledgement	CTC Analytics AG

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Turning to the emerging cannabis market and the triple-phase (DVB/Carbon WR/PDMS) Arrow, you can also expect significantly higher analyte responses with residual solvents and other classes of compounds (Figure 5).

	Peaks
1.	n-Propane
2.	Isobutane
3.	n-Butane
4.	Methanol
5.	n-Pentane
6.	Ethanol
7.	Diethyl ether
8.	Acetone
9.	2-Propanol
10.	Acetonitrile
11.	Methylene chloride
12.	n-Hexane

	Peaks
13.	Ethyl acetate
14.	Chloroform
15.	Cyclohexane
16.	Benzene
17.	1,2-Dichlorethane
18.	n-Heptane
19.	Trichloroethene
20.	Toluene
21.	m-Xylene
22.	p-Xylene
23.	o-Xylene
24.	N,N-Dimethylacetamide (solvent)

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