what does an electron capture detector do
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Schematic of an electron capture detector for a gas chromatograph with a 63 Ni source. An electron capture detector (ECD) is a device for detecting atoms and molecules in a gas through the attachment of electrons via electron capture ionization. The device was invented in 1957 by James Lovelock and is used in gas chromatography to detect trace amounts of chemical compounds in a sample.