Petroleomics: an approach using comprehensive Two-Dimension gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and chemometrics

Abstract

This project aims to develop new approaches to characterize the crude oil extracted from Brazil. The project belongs to the petroleomics field, presenting the use of modern analytical strategies to characterize the complex chemical composition of the crude oils extracted from the Brazilian offshores. The analytical tool chosen for this project is the Comprehensive Two-Dimension Gas Chromatography (GC×GC) coupled with Mass Spectrometry - quadrupolar mass analyzer (qMS), which fits satisfactorily well the purposes of the project. The high complexity of the crude oil that results in high amount of instrumental data will require the development of analytical methodologies using the multivariate data analysis concepts (or chemometrics). Therefore, the obtaining of the oil's fingerprints, exploratory analysis and classification according to their natural origin, resolution of coeluted GC×GC-qMS peaks and the quantification of potential biomarkers should be performed by the use of chemometrics to effectively extract most of the chemical information from this high complex matrix. It is expected that the results from this research may contribute for further comprehension about the chemical complexity of the Brazilian crude oils, and new analytical methods may be revealed to successfully explore the GC×GC-MS - chemometrics approach when handling this ubiquitous natural resource.