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How can chemical derivatization make a substance suitable for gas chromatography?

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Viking 1 on Mars — sample preparation Viking 1's sample scoop, poised to extract material from the surface of Mars.

In analytical chemistry, chemical derivatization is a critical step in sample preparation for gas chromatography.

Many substances are not naturally suitable for gas chromatography because they are nonvolatile or thermally unstable. Derivatization addresses this by chemically converting these analytes into forms that are both thermally stable and volatile. By transforming a compound into a more volatile derivative, the substance can be effectively vaporized and carried through the chromatographic column by the inert gas stream.12

A common example of this process is the transesterification of fats into fatty acid methyl esters. This conversion allows the resulting esters to be readily separated and measured, whereas the original fat molecules might otherwise be unsuitable for the technique.1