you can see this publication

[Determination of methanol concentration by GC-MS in a fatal case poisoning

Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi. 2011 Oct-Dec;115(4):1283-7.

Film is required to get good separation and good retention time for the components to separate properly, as the thickness of film directly influence these parameters. Just raising the temperature can degrade the quality of peaks and poor separation can occur. 

I would go for a headspace analysis, since you do not require complex sample prep. For a column, use a PEG phase or a crosslinked type such as a FFAP since Methanol is very polar.  What type of equipment do you have?

Depending on concentration level you can use a headspace analysis or injection of the liquid phase. In second case you can try to do it directly (DAI) or after extraction to organic solvent. You should use a capillary column with film of stationary phase, If the primary concentration of methanol is high you should use a thicker film, this will also increase the retention of methanol. A semi to high polar stationary phases are recommended. After this stages of optimisation/selection optimize the detection by MS - use the SIM mode for higher sensitivity (if needed).

best regards,

G.

You can use Agilent J&W HP-1MS GC Column or analogur with help of selected ion monitoring (SIM) m/z 31, column temperature 50 C and absolute calibration. If you have a lot of water (more than 15%) in the analyte you need to use water guard pre column. If you didn't have water guard column, SIM monitoring can help with it and separate GC peak 18 m/z (water) from 31 m/z (methanol) for quantitative analysis.

In fact, if you are working with two component system (water and methanol), you can use column without any film. In case of multicomponent systems such film is required. Quantitative analysis could be performed using characteristic ions of methanol (m/z 31). The best way in this case is to use deuterated methanol (CD3OH) as internal standart (ratio of m/z 31 and m/z 33 ions), I think.

Hi Saranya.

Already you have several tips on the analysis of methanol by GC / MS. You might consider using SPME to extract the methanol directly from the headspace of the sample (Minimal sample manipulation).

It is very easy, you can use a carboxen/PDMS fiber via a GC equipped with a cross-linked

polyethylene glycol column.

SPME–GC determination of methanol as a hydrate inhibitor in crude oil

Original Research Article: Talanta, Volume 87, 15 December 2011, Pages 118-125

Bahram Mokhtari, Kobra Pourabdollah

For analysis of methanol just  use only gas chromatograph with FID or TCD detectors and the GC column with cross-linked PEG phase instead GC-MS. Also, You can use headspace -GC or SPME + GC equipment if You want..

Thanks a lot for your valuable suggestions I will surely use a column with film and SPME.

Dear Dr. Philip Weller,

We are using GC-MS from Thermo scientific "Trace GC-ultra"