Plasma chromatography

In plasma chromatography, molecular ions of the heavy organic material to be analy2ed are produced in an ionizer and pass by means of a shutter electrode into a drift region. The velocity of drift through an inert gas at approximately 101 kPa (1 atm) under the influence of an appHed electric field depends on the molecular weight of the sample. The various sonic species are separated and collected every few milliseconds on an electrode. The technique has been employed for studying upper atmosphere ion molecule reactions and for chemical analysis (100). 

Trace levels of nickel carbonyl can be monitored using plasma chromatography (Ref 5)... 

There have been many quite useful discoveries in chemistry and chemical engineering over the years that have been used for detection applications. The first example is plasma chromatography, otherwise known as ion mobility spectrometry. In the 1980s this technique became the method of choice for detecting chemical warfare agents and was used by soldiers in Desert Storm with unfortunate results. Official reports tell that the rate of false alarms for these instruments was so high that soldiers became desensitized to real hazards. One infantry battalion eventually turned their alarms off. Much of the Gulf War Syndrome may well have been caused because ion mobihty spectrometry was oversold as a detection technique. 

G. R. Asbury and H. H. Hill, Jr., Evaluation of Ultrahigh Resolution Ion Mobility Spectrometry as an Analytical Separation Device in Chromatographic Terms, J. Microcolumn Sep. 2000,12, 172 H. E. Revercomb and E. A. Mason, Theory of Plasma Chromatography/Gaseous Electrophoresis, Anal. Chem 1975,47,970. 

Kilpatrick, Plasma Chromatography (Trademark) and Dynamite Vapor Detection , Contract DOT-FA 71-WA-2491, The Franklin GNQ Cor , West Palm Beach, Florida (1971) 28) Anon, Engrg-... 

Lawless, Ionization of Nitrotoluene Compounds in Negative Ion Plasma Chromatography , AnalChem 50 (7), 884-92 (1978) 165) S. 

Figure 4.5 Separation of two trialkyl lead and three organomercury species. Column 1.5mm i.d. x 5cm long flow rate lOOpimirT1 mobile phase 5mM ammonium pentanesulfonate in 20 80 v/v ACN-H20 (pH 3.4) injection volume 2jul, sample size, 40 pg (as Pb) for (Me)3Pb+, 80 pg (as Pb) for (Et)3Pb+ and 2 ng (as Hg) for each of the organomercury species. Taken from Speciation of mercury and lead compounds by microbore column liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma chromatography mass spectrometry (Shum ef a/. 1992).

Shum, S.C.K., Pang, H. and Houk, R.S. (1992) Speciation of mercury and lead compounds by microbore column liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma chromatography mass spectrometry. Anal. Chem., 64, 2444—2450. 

M.J. Cohen, Plasma Chromatography. A New Dimension for Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, presented at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, March 1969. 

M.W. Siegel, Atmospheric pressure ionization, in T.W. Carr (ed.), Plasma Chromatography, Plenum Press, New York, (1984). 

At the opposite extreme of molecular size from DNA, small molecules and free atoms can be ionized and subjected to electrophoresis in the gas phase. The technique, named ion mobility spectroscopy (IMS) or plasma chromatography, would better be called gaseous electrophoresis for consistency. The uses and theory of this method can be found in the literature [31,32]. 

G.E. Spangler, Detection of Nitroaro-matics with Plasma Chromatography/Precon-centration , EO-SP-76001, Proc 6th Ann S)mip Trace Anal Detect Environ, 141—48 (1975)... 

Kim, S.H. Betty K.R. Karasek, F.W., Mobility behavior and composition of hydrated positive reactant ions in plasma chromatography with nitrogen carrier gas. Anal. Chem. 1978, 50(14), 2006-2016. 

Revercomb, H.E. Mason, E.A., Theory of plasma chromatography/gaseous electrophoresis a review. Anal. Chem. 1975,47, 970-983. 

Partial List of the Record of Patents (Annotated) and Publications Associated with the Commercialization of IMS in 1970 under the Name Plasma Chromatography... 

Cohen, M.J., Plasma chromatography—a new dimension for gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, Pittcon 1969, Cleveland, OH, March 1969. 

Karasek, RW., Plasma chromatography of the polychlorinated biphenyls. Anal. Chem. 1971,43, 1982-1986. 

Karasek, F.W. Tatone, O.S., Plasma chromatography of the monohalogenated benzenes. 

Karasek, F.W. Tatone, O.S. Kane, D.M., Study of electron capture behavior of substituted aromatics by plasma chromatography, Anal. Chem. 1973,45,1210-1214. 

Kilpatrick, W.D., Plasma chromatography and dynamite vapor detection. Final Report FAA-RD-71-7, Contract DOr-M77VK4-2497,Pederal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC, January 1971, AD-903108/9. 

FIGURE 3.1 Early ion mobility spectrum at atmospheric pressure. Positive ions of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at about 2 x 10" mole parts in dry air at 760 torr and 150°C. (From Cohen and Karasek, Plasma chromatography—a new dimension for gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, J. Chromatogr. Sci. 1970, 8, 330-337.)... 

Karasek, F.W. Kim, S.H. Hill, H.H., Mass identified mobility spectra of p-nitrophenol and reactant ions in plasma chromatography. Anal. Chem. 1976, 48, (8), 1133-1137. 

---