Design and Development of Sample Preparation Procedures for the Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds

Dear Colleagues,

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that are gaseous or can vaporize and enter the atmosphere at room temperature. Most VOCs are biogenic (BVOCs) and are naturally emitted by plants, animals, or microorganisms, but many of them have anthropogenic origin. In both cases, their analytical determination is of utmost importance because (i) they can play an important role in communication between animals and plants in plant–plant interactions and (ii) some of them can be dangerous to human health or cause harm to the environment and are therefore internationally regulated.

In the past, the sample preparation step has often been considered as of minor importance in the whole analytical process. However, it is fundamental to efficiently and representatively recover the analytes. In recent years, the analytical community has made a great effort in the development of new sample preparation approaches towards liquid and solid samples, aiming to increase the level of miniaturization, automation and sample throughput and to decrease the consumption of materials and organic solvents. Furthermore, special emphasis has been given to improving the environmental footprint of the analytical process.

In this Special Issue, we welcome research articles and reviews dealing with the design and development of innovative sample preparation materials and procedures for the determination of VOCs and BVOCs.

Dr. Rui Miguel Ramos
Dr. Cecilia Cagliero
Guest Editors

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