Accurate and simple method for simultaneous determination of restricted ethylene glycol ethers and esters in leather by GC-MS was written by Ma, He-Wei;Luo, Jian-Xun. And the article was included in Journal of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists in 2021.Reference of 112-49-2 This article mentions the following:
An anal. approach was developed for the simultaneous determination of the eight ethylene glycol ethers (EGEs) and esters (EGEEs) prohibited by European Union (EU) REACH regulation in leather samples. The analytes were extracted using methanol with ultrasonic assistance within 30 min. The extracts were cleaned up by passing the extraction solution through a cartridge containing alumina-N frits, and the eluate was injected into GC-MS which was fitted with a 60m length capillary DB-WAX column. Excellent separation of the eight EGEs/EGEEs was achieved by the capillary column within 25 min. The clean-up with Alumina-N cartridge presented desired efficiency for removing the co-extractives in the extracts The major advantages of this method are the simplicity and accuracy. Limitation of the detection, linear range, and reproducibility of the method were evaluated. Average recoveries in the range of 91.7%-102.5% (RSD, ≤6.1%) with detection limits at 3.0-9.4mg/kg for the eight targets were obtained. Anal. results showed that ethylene glycol di-Me ether (EGDME), ethylene glycol Et ether (EGEE), and diethylene glycol di-Me ether (DEGDME), were found in 22% of 95 leather samples at the concentration range of 35-82mg/kg, 12-285mg/kg and 28-66mg/kg, resp., while the other five EGEs/EGEEs were not detected. In the experiment, the researchers used many compounds, for example, 2,5,8,11-Tetraoxadodecane (cas: 112-49-2Reference of 112-49-2).
2,5,8,11-Tetraoxadodecane (cas: 112-49-2) belongs to ethers. Ether is less polar than esters, alcohols or amines because of the oxygen atom that is unable to participate in hydrogen bonding due to the presence of bulky alkyl groups on both sides of the oxygen atom. At room temperature, ethers are pleasant-smelling colourless liquids. Relative to alcohols, ethers are generally less dense, are less soluble in water, and have lower boiling points. They are relatively unreactive, and as a result they are useful as solvents for fats, oils, waxes, perfumes, resins, dyes, gums, and hydrocarbons. Vapours of certain ethers are used as insecticides, miticides, and fumigants for soil.Reference of 112-49-2
Referemce:
Ether – Wikipedia,
Ether | (C2H5)2O – PubChem