Mass spectrometry for evolved gas analysis: An update

Advances in evolved gas analysis (EGA) techniques are periodically reported by our group to provide useful examples of their applications in many different fields. It is actually recognized that anytime is requested a correct interpretation of the thermally induced reaction mechanism, involving the formation of gaseous species, it is strongly recommended the characterization of the evolved products. In this review, recent applications of mass spectrometry for EGA (EGA-MS), selected among those published in 2016 and 2017, are reported to show how the characterization of the nature of volatile products released by a substance subjected to a controlled temperature program allows to prove a supposed reaction, either under isothermal or under heating conditions.