Hydrides volatile

A non-metal or weakly electropositive metal X in Group III of the periodic table would be expeeted to form a covalent volatile hydride XHj. In fact, the simplest hydride of boron is BjHf, and aluminium hydride is a polymer (AlHj) . 

Silicon, unlike carbon, does notiorm a very large number of hydrides. A series of covalently bonded volatile hydrides called silanes analogous to the alkane hydrocarbons is known, with the general formula Si H2 + 2- I uf less than ten members of the series have so far been prepared. Mono- and disilanes are more readily prepared by the reaction of the corresponding silicon chloride with lithium aluminium hydride in ether ... 

In addition to the volatile silanes, silicon also forms non-volatile hydrides with formulae (SiHj) , but little is known about their structure. Silicon, however, does not form unsaturated hydrides corresponding to the simple alkenes. 

Volatile hydrides, except those of Periodic Group VII and of oxygen and nitrogen, are named by citing the root name of the element (penultimate consonant and Latin affixes. Sec. 3.1.2.2) followed by the suffix -ane. Exceptions are water, ammonia, hydrazine, phosphine, arsine, stibine, and bismuthine. 

Miscellaneous Atomization Methods A few elements may be atomized by a chemical reaction that produces a volatile product. Elements such as As, Se, Sb, Bi, Ge, Sn, Te, and Pb form volatile hydrides when reacted with NaBH4 in acid. An inert gas carries the volatile hydrides to either a flame or to a heated quartz observation tube situated in the optical path. Mercury is determined by the cold-vapor method in which it is reduced to elemental mercury with SnCb- The volatile Hg is carried by an inert gas to an unheated observation tube situated in the instrument s optical path. 

Fundamentally, introduction of a gaseous sample is the easiest option for ICP/MS because all of the sample can be passed efficiently along the inlet tube and into the center of the flame. Unfortunately, gases are mainly confined to low-molecular-mass compounds, and many of the samples that need to be examined cannot be vaporized easily. Nevertheless, there are some key analyses that are carried out in this fashion the major one i.s the generation of volatile hydrides. Other methods for volatiles are discussed below. An important method of analysis uses lasers to vaporize nonvolatile samples such as bone or ceramics. With a laser, ablated (vaporized) sample material is swept into the plasma flame before it can condense out again. Similarly, electrically heated filaments or ovens are also used to volatilize solids, the vapor of which is then swept by argon makeup gas into the plasma torch. However, for convenience, the methods of introducing solid samples are discussed fully in Part C (Chapter 17). 

A number of elements form volatile hydrides, as shown in the table. Some elements form very unstable hydrides, and these have too transient an existence to exist long enough for analysis. Many elements do not form stable hydrides or do not form them at all. Some elements, such as sodium or calcium, form stable but very nonvolatile solid hydrides. The volatile hydrides listed in the table are gaseous and sufficiently stable to allow analysis, particularly as the hydrides are swept into the plasma flame within a few seconds of being produced. In the flame, the hydrides are decomposed into ions of their constituent elements. 

The elements listed in the table of Figure 15.2 are of importance as environmental contaminants, and their analysis in soils, water, seawater, foodstuffs and for forensic purposes is performed routinely. For these reasons, methods have been sought to analyze samples of these elements quickly and easily without significant prepreparation. One way to unlock these elements from their compounds or salts, in which form they are usually found, is to reduce them to their volatile hydrides through the use of acid and sodium tetrahydroborate (sodium borohydride), as shown in Equation 15.1 for sodium arsenite. 

The volatile hydride (arsine in Equation 15.1) is swept by a. stream of argon gas into the inlet of the plasma torch. The plasma flame decomposes the hydride to give elemental ions. For example, arsine gives arsenic ions at m/z 75. The other elements listed in Figure 15.2 also yield volatile hydrides, except for mercury salts which are reduced to the element (Fig), which is volatile. In the plasma flame, the arsine of Equation 15.1 is transformed into As ions. The other elements of Figure 15.2 are converted similarly into their elemental ions. 

A major advantage of this hydride approach lies in the separation of the remaining elements of the analyte solution from the element to be determined. Because the volatile hydrides are swept out of the analyte solution, the latter can be simply diverted to waste and not sent through the plasma flame Itself. Consequently potential interference from. sample-preparation constituents and by-products is reduced to very low levels. For example, a major interference for arsenic analysis arises from ions ArCE having m/z 75,77, which have the same integral m/z value as that of As+ ions themselves. Thus, any chlorides in the analyte solution (for example, from sea water) could produce serious interference in the accurate analysis of arsenic. The option of diverting the used analyte solution away from the plasma flame facilitates accurate, sensitive analysis of isotope concentrations. Inlet systems for generation of volatile hydrides can operate continuously or batchwise. 

A schematic illustration of a typical inlet apparatus for separating volatile hydrides from the analyte solution, in which they are generated upon reduction with sodium tetrahydroborate. When the mixed analyte solution containing volatile hydrides enters the main part of the gas/liquid separator, the volatiles are released and mix with argon sweep and makeup gas, with which they are transported to the center of the plasma. The unwanted analyte solution drains from the end of the gas/liquid separator. The actual construction details of these gas/liquid separators can vary considerably, but all serve the same purpose. In some of them, there can be an intermediate stage for removal of air and hydrogen from the hydrides before the latter are sent to the plasma. 

Some elements (S, Se, Te, P, As, Sb, Bi, Ge, Sn, Pb) are conveniently converted into their volatile hydrides before passed into the plasma. The formation of the hydrides by use of sodium tetrahydroborate (sodium borohydride) can be batchwise or continuous. 

Although electrothermal atomisation methods can be applied to the determination of arsenic, antimony, and selenium, the alternative approach of hydride generation is often preferred. Compounds of the above three elements may be converted to their volatile hydrides by the use of sodium borohydride as reducing agent. The hydride can then be dissociated into an atomic vapour by the relatively moderate temperatures of an argon-hydrogen flame. 

Interaction of atomic hydrogen and selenium is accompanied by formation of volatile hydride, therefore the use of H-atoms as adsorbate is not convenient. From this stand-point it is better to use aliphatic radicals which are ready to interact with selenium [22]. 

Boron and hydrogen form many compounds and they exhibit unusual structural forms. Several of the boranes are listed in Table 13.2. Covalent hydrides are generally compounds that have low boiling points. Consequently, they are often referred to as volatile hydrides. 

The properties of some boron hydrides along with those of other volatile hydrides are shown in Table 13.2. A very interesting reaction that diborane undergoes is one in which it reacts with double bonds in hydrocarbons. The reaction can be shown as... 

Tin compounds are converted to the corresponding volatile hydride (SnH4, CH3 SnH3, (CH3 )2 SnH2, and (CH3 >3 SnH) by reaction with sodium borohydride at pH 6.5 followed by separation of the hydrides and then atomic absorption spectroscopy using a hydrogen-rich hydrogen-air flame emission type detector (Sn-H band). 

Schematic representation of an AFS detection system for the determination of elements in the form of volatile hydrides (PMT = photo-multiplier tube). (With permission of PS Analytical Ltd)...

AFS sub ppb-ppm 0.2-4% limited applicability but valuable for low concentrations of Hg and elements with volatile hydrides... 

Certain volatile elements must be analyzed by special analytical procedures as irreproducible losses may occur during sample preparation and atomization. Arsenic, antimony, selenium, and tellurium are determined via the generation of their covalent hydrides by reaction with sodium borohydride. The resulting volatile hydrides are trapped in a liquid nitrogen trap and then passed into an electrically heated silica tube. This tube thermally decomposes these compounds into atoms that can be quantified by AAS. Mercury is determined via the cold-vapor... 

The preparation of volatile derivatives makes the ionic organotin compounds amenable to evaporative separation techniques (purge and trap or gas chromatography). Hydride formation in dilute aqueous solutions is becoming a routine method for determination of methyltins [101, 104, 105, 109, 110], methyl- and butyltins [100, 111, 112], and phenyland various other organotin compounds [77, 113, 114] to form the volatile hydrides... 

Al, Ga, In and T1 differ sharply from boron. They have greater chemical reactivity at lower temperatures, well-defined cationic chemistry in aqueous solutions they do not form numerous volatile hydrides and cluster compounds as boron. Aluminium readily oxidizes in air, but bulk samples of the metal form a coherent protective oxide film preventing appreciable reaction aluminium dissolves in dilute mineral acids, but it is passivated by concentrated HN03. It reacts with aqueous NaOH, while gallium, indium and thallium dissolve in most acids. 

The minimum oxygen concentration for explosion of most volatile hydrides of Group IIIa-Va elements is nearly zero, so complete exclusion of air or oxygen is essential for safe working. Presence of impurities in hydride mixtures further increases the danger of ignition. 

Webster SH Volatile hydrides of toxicological importance. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28 167-182, 1946... 

Bio)chemical reactions may take place prior to or after the continuous separation module and are intended to enhance or facilitate mass transfer, detection or both. The earliest and simplest approach to integrated analytical steps in continuous-flow systems involves a combination of chemical reactions and continuous separations [4,5]. Such is the case with the formation of soluble organic chelates of metal ions in liquid-liquid extractions with the ligand initially dissolved in the organic stream [6], the formation and dissolution of precipitates [7], the formation of volatile reaction products in gas difiusion [8] and that of volatile hydrides in atomic absorption spectro-... 

Selenium is converted to its volatile hydride by reaction with sodium boro-hydride, and the cold hydride vapor is introduced to flame AA for analysis. Alternatively, selenium is digested with nitric acid and 30% H2O2, diluted and analyzed by furnace-AA spectrophotometer. The metal also may be analyzed by ICP-AES or ICP/MS. The wavelengths most suitable for its measurements are 196.0 nm for flame- or furnace-AA and 196.03 nm for ICP-AES. Selenium also may be measured by neutron activation analysis and x-ray fluorescence. 

Fire Hazard The volatile hydrides are flammable, some spontaneously so in air. All hydrides react violently on contact with powerful oxidizing agents. When heated or on contact with moisture or acids an exothermic reaction evolving hydrogen occurs. Often enough heat is evolved to cause ignition. Hydrides require special handling instructions which should be obtained from the manufacturers... 

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