Mass spectrometry traces

F. L. King, J. Teng, and R. E. Steiner. Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry Trace Element Determinations in Solid Samples. J. Mass Spectrom., 30(1995) 1061-1075. 

Figure 1.8 TPSR spectra obtained after saturation of a Mo03/AI203 catalyst with methanol at room temperature [61], Seen here are mass spectrometry traces corresponding to methanol (mle = 28 and 32), formaldehyde (mle = 28 and 30), water (mle = 18), and dimethyl ether (mle = 45). These data were used to propose a mechanism for the selective oxidation of methanol on Mo03-based catalysts. (Reproduced with permission from Elsevier.)...

J. Cai and J. Henion, On-line immunoaffinity extraction-coupled column capillary liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry trace analysis of LSD analogs and metabolites in human urine , Anal. Chem. 68 72-78 (1996). 

In inorganic chemistry, mixtures of metal ions in solution can be analyzed by electron-impact mass spectrometry. First the metal ions are complexed with an organic ligand (usually various substituted acetylacetonates) to form volatile metal chelates. If many metal ions are anticipated, the mixture is separated by GC and the separated fractions identified by mass spectrometry. Simple mixtures can be analyzed directly using the mass spectrometer. Because of the high sensitivity of mass spectrometry, trace analysis is possible. 

King FL, Teng J and Steiner RE (1995) Glow discharge mass spectrometry trace element determinations in solid samples. Journal of Mass Spectrometry 30 1061-1075. 

Coedo, A. G., Padilla, I., Dorado,T., and Alguacil, E J. (1999). A micro-scale mercury cathode electrolysis procedure for on- line flow injection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry trace elements analysis in steel samples. Anal. Chim. Acta 389(1), 247. 

To measure trace metals to the levels required in the guidelines involves the use of state-of-the-art instmmentation such as inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (icp/ms). 

The conventional method for quantitative analysis of galHum in aqueous media is atomic absorption spectroscopy (qv). High purity metallic galHum is characteri2ed by trace impurity analysis using spark source (15) or glow discharge mass spectrometry (qv) (16). 

Confirmation of the identities of nitrosamines generally is accompHshed by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (gc/ms) (46,87). High resolution gc/ms, as well as gc/ms in various single-ion modes, can be used as specific detectors, especially when screening for particular nitrosamines (87) (see Analytical LffiTHODS Trace and residue analysis). 

Numerous methods have been pubUshed for the determination of trace amounts of tellurium (33—42). Instmmental analytical methods (qv) used to determine trace amounts of tellurium include atomic absorption spectrometry, flame, graphite furnace, and hydride generation inductively coupled argon plasma optical emission spectrometry inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry neutron activation analysis and spectrophotometry (see Mass spectrometry Spectroscopy, optical). Other instmmental methods include polarography, potentiometry, emission spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray fluorescence. 

Liquid Ghromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Increased use of Hquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (Ic/ms) for stmctural identification and trace analysis has become apparent. Thermospray Ic/ms has been used to identify by-products in phenyl isocyanate precolumn derivatization reactions (74). Five compounds resulting from the reaction of phenyUsocyanate and the reaction medium were identified two from a reaction between phenyl isocyanate and methanol, two from the reaction between phenyl isocyanate and water, and one from the polymerisation of phenyl isocyanate. There were also two reports of derivatisation to enhance either the response or stmctural information from thermospray Ic/ms for linoleic acid hpoxygenase metabohtes (75) and for cortisol (76). 

Laser based mass spectrometric methods, such as laser ionization (LIMS) and laser ablation in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are powerful analytical techniques for survey analysis of solid substances. To realize the analytical performances methods for the direct trace analysis of synthetic and natural crystals modification of a traditional analytical technique was necessary and suitable standard reference materials (SRM) were required. Recent developments allowed extending the range of analytical applications of LIMS and LA-ICP-MS will be presented and discussed. For example ... 

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a multielement analytical method with detection limits which are, for many trace elements, including the rare earth elements, better than those of most conventional techniques. With increasing availability of ICP-MS instalments in geological laboratories this method has been established as the most prominent technique for the determination of a large number of minor and trace elements in geological samples. 

The abundance of a trace element is often too small to be accurately quantihed using conventional analytical methods such as ion chromatography or mass spectrometry. It is possible, however, to precisely determine very low concentrations of a constituent by measuring its radioactive decay properties. In order to understand how U-Th series radionuclides can provide such low-level tracer information, a brief review of the basic principles of radioactive decay and the application of these radionuclides as geochronological tools is useful. " The U-Th decay series together consist of 36 radionuclides that are isotopes (same atomic number, Z, different atomic mass, M) of 10 distinct elements (Figure 1). Some of these are very short-lived (tj j 1 -nd are thus not directly useful as marine tracers. It is the other radioisotopes with half-lives greater than 1 day that are most useful and are the focus of this chapter. 

In Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), a solid specimen, placed in a vacuum, is bombarded with a narrow beam of ions, called primary ions, that are suffi-ciendy energedc to cause ejection (sputtering) of atoms and small clusters of atoms from the bombarded region. Some of the atoms and atomic clusters are ejected as ions, called secondary ions. The secondary ions are subsequently accelerated into a mass spectrometer, where they are separated according to their mass-to-charge ratio and counted. The relative quantities of the measured secondary ions are converted to concentrations, by comparison with standards, to reveal the composition and trace impurity content of the specimen as a function of sputtering dme (depth). 

Sputtered Neutral Mass Spectrometry (SNMS) is the mass spectrometric analysis of sputtered atoms ejected from a solid surface by energetic ion bombardment. The sputtered atoms are ionized for mass spectrometric analysis by a mechanism separate from the sputtering atomization. As such, SNMS is complementary to Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), which is the mass spectrometric analysis of sputtered ions, as distinct from sputtered atoms. The forte of SNMS analysis, compared to SIMS, is the accurate measurement of concentration depth profiles through chemically complex thin-film structures, including interfaces, with excellent depth resolution and to trace concentration levels. Genetically both SALI and GDMS are specific examples of SNMS. In this article we concentrate on post ionization only by electron impact. 

Spark Source Mass Spectrometry (SSMS) is a method of trace level analysis—less than 1 part per million atomic (ppma)—in which a solid material, in the form of two conducting electrodes, is vaporized and ionized by a high-voltage radio frequency spark in vacuum. The ions produced from the sample electrodes are accelerated into a mass spectrometer, separated according to their mass-to-charge ratio, and collected for qualitative identification and quantitative analysis. 

The analytical techniques covered in this chapter are typically used to measure trace-level elemental or molecular contaminants or dopants on surfaces, in thin films or bulk materials, or at interfaces. Several are also capable of providing quantitative measurements of major and minor components, though other analytical techniques, such as XRF, RBS, and EPMA, are more commonly used because of their better accuracy and reproducibility. Eight of the analytical techniques covered in this chapter use mass spectrometry to detect the trace-level components, while the ninth uses optical emission. All the techniques are destructive, involving the removal of some material from the sample, but many different methods are employed to remove material and introduce it into the analyzer. 

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