“…In order for IGC to be effective, the probes must be volatile and of low molecular weight; the stationary phase is usually a low vapor pressure solvent or a high molecular weight polymer. If the molecular weight of the stationary phase is known, the specific retention volume can be related to the activity coefficient of the probe in the stationary phase 1–7. Using Flory–Huggins theory9 the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter between a polymer and probe, χ, can be related to the specific retention volume of the probe, V , by the following equation1–7: where R is the gas constant, T is the column temperature, v 2 is the specific volume, M 2 is the molecular weight of the stationary phase, and P , V 1 , and B 11 are the vapor pressure, molar volume, and the second viral coefficient of the probe, respectively.…”