Plant Volatile Organic Compound Collection: Superior Odor-Trapping Efficiency of Mesoporous Carbons over Porous Polymers.

Abstract

Dynamic headspace collection (DHC) using adsorbent matrices is a standard technique for capturing representative profiles of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While solvent desorption (SD) of adsorbent-trapped VOCs facilitates downstream analysis, the optimal adsorbent selection for SD-DHC remains underexplored. This study systematically evaluated 6 carbon-based matrices, 3 commonly used porous polymers, and silica gel for SD-DHC applications. Adsorbent performance was assessed through adsorption capacity measurements using 34 synthetic VOC standards, breakthrough tests with two traps connected in series, residual analysis, and validation of efficiency by sampling VOCs from cut cabbage pieces and herbivore-damaged cotton seedlings. Results demonstrated that Carboxen 1000, Carbopack X, and Carbopack Z exhibited superior overall VOC collection capacity, minimal breakthrough, and low residual levels consistent with their large surface areas and optimized mesoporous structures. Validation tests confirmed the effectiveness of these adsorbents in capturing diverse plant VOC profiles, indicating significant application potential for complex plant volatile sampling.