Emission spectroscopy, limitations

In principle, emission spectroscopy can be applied to both atoms and molecules. Molecular infrared emission, or blackbody radiation played an important role in the early development of quantum mechanics and has been used for the analysis of hot gases generated by flames and rocket exhausts. Although the availability of FT-IR instrumentation extended the application of IR emission spectroscopy to a wider array of samples, its applications remain limited. For this reason IR emission is not considered further in this text. Molecular UV/Vis emission spectroscopy is of little importance since the thermal energies needed for excitation generally result in the sample s decomposition. 

Plasma sources were developed for emission spectrometric analysis in the late-1960s. Commercial inductively coupled and d.c. plasma spectrometers were introduced in the mid-1970s. By comparison with AAS, atomic plasma emission spectroscopy (APES) can achieve simultaneous multi-element measurement, while maintaining a wide dynamic measurement range and high sensitivities and selectivities over background elements. As a result of the wide variety of radiation sources, optical atomic emission spectrometry is very suitable for multi-element trace determinations. With several techniques, absolute detection limits are below the ng level. 

In addition to measuring total recombination coefficients, experimentalists seek to determine absolute or relative yields of specific recombination products by emission spectroscopy, laser induced fluorescence, and optical absorption. In most such measurements, the products suffer many collisions between their creation and detection and nothing can be deduced about their initial translational energies. Limited, but important, information on the kinetic energies of the nascent products can be obtained by examination of the widths of emitted spectral lines and by... 

Na+ and K+ with a detection limit of 10 9 M. The sensor compositions exhibited wide response ranges between 10 9 and 10 5 M Na+ or K+, and, therefore, may be an alternative method to flame emission spectroscopy. The sensor is fully reversible within the dynamic range and the response time is 3 min under batch conditions. Cross sensitivity to pH is negligible in the pH range of 6.2-7.3. 

Measurements of supported catalysts in diffuse reflection and transmission mode are in practice limited to frequencies above those where the support absorbs (below about 1250 cm-1). Infrared Emission Spectroscopy (IRES) offers an alternative in this case. When a material is heated to about 100 °C or higher, it emits a spectrum of infrared radiation in which all the characteristic vibrations appear as clearly recognizable peaks. Although measuring in this mode offers the attractive advantage that low frequencies such as those of metal-oxygen or sulfur-sulfur bonds are easily accessible, the technique has hardly been explored for the purpose of catalyst characterization. An in situ cell for IRES measurements and some experiments on Mo-O-S clusters of interest for hydrodesulfurization catalysts have been described by Weber etal. [11],... 

Mossbauer Measurements. Co-Mo catalysts cannot be studied directly in absorption experiments since neither cobalt nor molybdenum has suitable Mossbauer isotopes. However, by doping with 57Co the catalysts can be studied by carrying out Mossbauer emission spectroscopy (MES) experiments. In this case information about the cobalt atoms is obtained by studying the 57Fe atoms produced by the decay of 57Co. The possibilities and limitations on the use of the MES technique for the study of Co-Mo catalysts have recently been discussed (8., 25.). 

Limitations of Emission Spectroscopy The emission spectroscopy has a number of limitations that are enumerated below briefly ... 

Perhaps all the elements present in the periodic table might be excited to yield respective emission spectra by employing a huge energetic source. However, it has a serious drawback because most of the spectral lines invariably fall within the vacuum-ultraviolet region thereby rendering their critical studies rather difficult. Hence, the emission spectroscopy is exclusively limited to metals and metalloids. The non-metals, for instance Phosphorus, Sulphur, Carbon etc. are not limited to these studies. 

With the exception of the orientation factor, all the parameters in this equation may be obtained within reasonable error by direct experimental measurement or by estimation. The problem of setting reasonable values for k2, which may vary from 0 to 4 for orientations in which the dipole moments are orthogonal or parallel, respectively, is nontrivial. A value of , which is an unweighted average over all orientations, is often used. Dale et al.(53) have examined this problem in great detail and have shown that a k2 value of is never justified for energy transfer in macromolecules because it is impossible for the donors and acceptors to achieve a truly isotropic distribution. They do provide an experimental approach, using polarized emission spectroscopy, to estimate the relative freedom of motion for the donor and acceptor that allows reasonable limits to be set for k2. 

Chapters 7 and 8 describe two major techniques for the monitoring of trace elements in environmental samples atomic absorption (AA) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP). AA is most ideally suited for analyses where a limited number of trace metal concentrations are needed with high accuracy and precision. ICP has the advantage of multielement analysis with high speed. 

Li or a Li compound in the flame gives a bright crimson color due to its emission of670.8 nm photons produced by the short-lived species LiOH. This is the property that allows for the spectrophotometric determination of Li by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) down to 20 ppb. Inductively-coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICPAES), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICPMS), and ion chromatography (IC) improve this limit to about 0.1 ppb. A spot test for detection of Li down to 2 ppm is provided by basic KIO4 plus FeCl3. 

Actinide metal samples are characterized by chemical and structure analysis. Multielement analysis by spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS) or inductively coupled argon plasma (ICAP) emission spectroscopy have lowered the detection limit for metallic impurities by 10 within the last two decades. The analysis of O, N, H by vacuum fusion requires large sample, but does not distinguish between bulk and surface of the material. Advanced techniques for surface analysis are being adapted for investigation of radioactive samples (Fig. 11) ... 

Analysis by atomic (or optical) emission spectroscopy is based on the study of radiation emitted by atoms in their excited state, ionised by the effect of high temperature. All elements can be measured by this technique, in contrast to conventional flames that only allow the analysis of a limited number of elements. Emission spectra, which are obtained in an electron rich environment, are more complex than in flame emission. Therefore, the optical part of the spectrometer has to be of very high quality to resolve interferences and matrix effects.-... 

Such a concentration is at the limit of the method based upon counting yet nonetheless is reliable for atomic emission spectroscopy (AES). 

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