Acylation reagents for GC - Anhydrides

For improved volatility, better thermal stability or low limit of detection in gas chromatography prerequisite: quantitative, rapid and reproducible formation of only on derivative halogen atoms introduced by derivatisation (e.g. trifluoroacetates) allow specific detection (ECD) with the advantage of high sensitivity elution order and fragmentation patterns in MS can be influenced by a specific derivatisation.
Reagents for silylation - alkylation (methylation) - acylation are available.
Acylation with fluorinated acid anhydrides can be used for alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids, amines, amino acids and steroids forming volatile, stable derivatives suited for FID as well as for ECD detection.

by-products of acylation with anhydrides: corresponding acids
excess reagent and the acid formed have to be removed

Heptafluorobutyric acid anhydride (HFBA)
m.w. 410.06, Bp 106 - 107°C (760mm Hg),
C₃F₇ - CO - O - CO - C₃F₇
density d20°/4° = 1.665