[Lawborne]

I'm working with SPME to determine how well a certain steroid (androstenone) volatilizes in the air. When I have it in isopropyl alcohol I get a peak in GC-MS but when I have the same concentration in any type of oil (I've tried canola and Crisco) I do not see any peak. If I had to guess it is because androstenone is very soluble in oil compared to isopropyl alcohol so it is less likely to become volatile. Thanks in advance.

[voidSetup]

If your inlet temperature is not high enough you may not be vaporizing the oil which could prevent the steroid from vaporizing as well.  What's your inlet temperature?