Electroantennography: Less common detection method in gas chromatography

Gas chromatography coupled to electroantennographic detection provides a biologically selective readout that localizes ecologically and behaviorally relevant volatiles in complex mixtures. Despite decades of use, gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection remains underrepresented in analytical applications. It is often implemented as a craft method, with limited consensus on experimental design, validation, and reporting for inter-laboratory comparability. This review clarifies what is the electroantennographic signal and integrates instrumental and methodological choices that influence performance. These choices include effluent splitting and conditioning via flow, temperature, and humidity, antenna preparation and lifetime, electrode and amplifier configuration, noise and drift control, and synchronization with parallel chemical detectors. Platforms coupled to mass spectrometric detection and/or flame ionization detection, approaches for response normalization and objective event calling, and workflows linking bioactive peak detection to structural assignment and quantitative relevance are presented. Practical reporting and quality-control elements, opportunities for shared response libraries and ring trials, and emerging directions including automation, miniaturized interfaces, and biohybrid sensing are proposed.