Multielement chemical separation

The ionization efficiency and selectivity of RIMS can be utilized for the analysis of ultra-small samples at atom-counting sensitivity levels. Simplified chemical separations may also result from the ability to analyze atoms selectively in the presence of other matrix components within limitations that will be determined by ongoing research. Combined with the possibility of multielement analysis RIMS may become a cost-effective way of providing multi-element Isotope... 

Neutron activation analysis has proven to be a convenient way of performing the chemical analysis of archaeologically-excavated artifacts and materials. It is fast and does not require tedious laboratory operations. It is multielement, sensitive, and if need be, can be made entirely non-destructive. Neutron activation analysis in its instrumental form, i.e. that involving no chemical separation, is ideally suited to automation and conveniently takes the first step in data flow patterns that are appropriate for many taxonomic and statistical operations. 

The primary objective of RAA is to increase the sensitivity and/or the accuracy of the analysis, while preserving the main advantage of the instrumental techniques, their multielement character. The instrumental modes of activation analysis are widely used analytical techniques for the nondestructive and simultaneous determination of trace element mass fractions or concentrations. As a result of chemical separation, interferences caused by other elements/radionuclides are removed thus additional elements of low concentration become detectable and/or the accuracy of the determination is improved. In this sense, RAA complements instrumental AA methods. 

The multielement character of AA implies that trace elements do not have to be individually separated it is sufficient to separate them into several groups or just remove the interfering components. Thus, chemical separation schemes are relatively simple and extremely high decontamination factors are not attained. When the recoveries are well controlled, separations need not necessarily be quantitative, although high yields are always desirable. For the determination of short-lived nuclides, fast separation procedures are of major concern. ... 

In the context of chemical speciation, a new hyphenated technique, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), in combination with gel electrophoresis, appears as an emerging and powerful tool for metal complexation studies of proteins, giving multielement information about metals bound to the previously separated metalloproteins. 

In order to study the chemical species of trace elements in biological samples, the elemental contents in the effluents will be determined after separation. The multielement character of NAA, as well as its high sensitivity for many elements, is ideal for the task. Since the column effluents are liquid, the fractions are usually freeze dried, then subjected to NAA. 

The uniqueness of stoiehiographic methods and the main stoiehiographic method of differential dissolution consists in the possibility of simultaneous (1) detection, (2) identification, and (3) quantitative determination of chemical compounds in solid inorganic multielement multiphase substances and materials. It can be stated that in modem chemistry and materials science there are no other methods except DD that could reveal the stoichiometry and quantitative content of all chemical compounds in the object only from the data on its gross elemental composition. Therewith, reference samples of the analyzed compounds are not necessary, and conditions for separation of compounds - their solid phases - are found by in situ stoiehiographic titration directly in the course of DD dynamic... 

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