Adsorption measurement reflection spectrometry

In this chapter, we have chosen from the scientific literature accounts of symposia published at intervals during the period 1920 1990. They are personal choices illustrating what we believe reflect significant developments in experimental techniques and concepts during this time. Initially there was a dependence on gas-phase pressure measurements and the construction of adsorption isotherms, followed by the development of mass spectrometry for gas analysis, surface spectroscopies with infrared spectroscopy dominant, but soon to be followed by Auger and photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission, field ionisation and diffraction methods. 

Prange et al. [809,810] carried out multielement determinations of the stated dissolved heavy metals in Baltic seawater by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry. The metals were separated by chelation adsorption of the metal complexes on lipophilised silica-gel carrier and subsequent elution of the chelates by a chloroform/methanol mixture. Trace element loss or contamination could be controlled because of the relatively simple sample preparation. Aliquots of the eluate were then dispersed in highly polished quartz sample carriers and evaporated to thin films for spectrometric measurements. Recoveries (see Table 5.10), detection limits, and reproducibilities of the method for several metals were satisfactory. 

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