The reactions of a series of terpenoids with H(3) O(+) , NO(+) and O 2+ studied using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

The reactions of H₃O⁺, NO⁺ and O with twelve terpenoids and one terpene, all of which occur naturally in plants and which possess important smell and flavourant properties, were characterized using Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT‐MS). The H₃O⁺ reactions resulted primarily in the formation of the proton transfer product and occasionally in a water elimination product. The NO⁺ reactions instead generated the charge transfer product or NO⁺ adducts, and occasionally alkyl fragments, or resulted in hydride abstraction. Reaction with O caused a higher fragmentation of the terpenoids with the molecular ion being the minor product of most reactions. Identification and quantification of each compound in complex mixtures are probably possible in most cases using the H₃O⁺ and/or NO⁺ precursors while O may be useful for isomer discrimination. Our data suggests that SIFT‐MS may be a useful tool for the rapid analysis of these compounds in plants and derived foodstuffs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of methane in humid air and exhaled breath using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

In selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, SIFT‐MS, analyses of humid air and breath, it is essential to consider and account for the influence of water vapour in the media, which can be profound for the analysis of some compounds, including H₂CO, H₂S and notably CO₂. To date, the analysis of methane has not been considered, since it is known to be unreactive with H₃O⁺ and NO⁺, the most important precursor ions for SIFT‐MS analyses, and it reacts only slowly with the other available precursor ion, O. However, we have now experimentally investigated methane analysis and report that it can be quantified in both air and exhaled breath by exploiting the slow O/CH₄ reaction that produces CH₃O ions. We show that the ion chemistry is significantly influenced by the presence of water vapour in the sample, which must be quantified if accurate analyses are to be performed. Thus, we have carried out a study of the loss rate of the CH₃O analytical ion as a function of sample humidity and deduced an appropriate kinetics library entry that provides an accurate analysis of methane in air and breath by SIFT‐MS. However, the associated limit of detection is rather high, at 0.2 parts‐per‐million, ppm. We then measured the methane levels, together with acetone levels, in the exhaled breath of 75 volunteers, all within a period of 3 h, which shows the remarkable sample throughput rate possible with SIFT‐MS. The mean methane level in ambient air is seen to be 2 ppm with little spread and that in exhaled breath is 6 ppm, ranging from near‐ambient levels to 30 ppm, with no significant variation with age and gender. Methane can now be included in the wide ranging analyses of exhaled breath that are currently being carried out using SIFT‐MS. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of nitrate and water on the oxygen isotopic analysis of barium sulfate precipitated from water samples

BaSO₄ precipitated from mixed salt solutions by common techniques for SO isotopic analysis may contain quantities of H₂O and NO that introduce errors in O isotope measurements. Experiments with synthetic solutions indicate that δ¹⁸O values of CO produced by decomposition of precipitated BaSO₄ in a carbon reactor may be either too low or too high, depending on the relative concentrations of SO and NO and the δ¹⁸O values of the H₂O, NO, and SO. Typical δ¹⁸O errors are of the order of 0.5 to 1‰ in many sample types, and can be larger in samples containing atmospheric NO, which can cause similar errors in δ¹⁷O and Δ¹⁷O. These errors can be reduced by (1) ion chromatographic separation of SO from NO, (2) increasing the salinity of the solutions before precipitating BaSO₄ to minimize incorporation of H₂O, (3) heating BaSO₄ under vacuum to remove H₂O, (4) preparing isotopic reference materials as aqueous samples to mimic the conditions of the samples, and (5) adjusting measured δ¹⁸O values based on amounts and isotopic compositions of coexisting H₂O and NO. These procedures are demonstrated for SO isotopic reference materials, synthetic solutions with isotopically known reagents, atmospheric deposition from Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA, and sulfate salt deposits from the Atacama Desert, Chile, and Mojave Desert, California, USA. These results have implications for the calibration and use of O isotope data in studies of SO sources and reaction mechanisms. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The use of selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry to detect and quantify polyamines in headspace gas and oral air

Polyamines are a class of aliphatic compounds which include putrescine, cadaverine, spermine and spermidine. They are involved in a variety of cellular processes and have been implicated in a number of different pathophysiological mechanisms. Polyamines are volatile compounds having a distinctive odour normally perceived as being unpleasant. The measurement of their abundance has, however, been restricted to compounds present in the aqueous phase. Using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS) we have shown that the polyamines react with the ions H₃O⁺, NO⁺ and O to form distinctive product ions allowing their levels to be quantified in the vapour phase. The low volatility of spermine did not allow extensive analysis of this compound by SIFT‐MS while the adherent properties of cadaverine and putrescine required the use of PTFE transfer lines and couplers. Our data suggested the presence of cadaverine and putrescine in both oral air and the headspace of putrefying bovine muscle, while product ions corresponding to putrescine and spermidine were found in the headspace of human semen. SIFT‐MS therefore appears to be a practical means of measuring vapour‐phase polyamine levels, having applications in biology, medicine and dentistry, and food science. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The 18O signature of biogenic nitrous oxide is determined by O exchange with water

To effectively mitigate emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O) it is essential to understand the biochemical pathways by which it is produced. The ¹⁸O signature of N₂O is increasingly used to characterize these processes. However, assumptions on the origin of the O atom and resultant isotopic composition of N₂O that are based on reaction stoichiometry may be questioned. In particular, our deficient knowledge on O exchange between H₂O and nitrogen oxides during N₂O production complicates the interpretation of the ¹⁸O signature of N₂O. Here we studied O exchange during N₂O formation in soil, using a novel combination of ¹⁸O and ¹⁵N tracing. Twelve soils were studied, covering soil and land‐use variability across Europe. All soils demonstrated the significant presence of O exchange, as incorporation of O from ¹⁸O‐enriched H₂O into N₂O exceeded their maxima achievable through reaction stoichiometry. Based on the retention of the enrichment ratio of ¹⁸O and ¹⁵N of NO into N₂O, we quantified O exchange during denitrification. Up to 97% (median 85%) of the N₂O‐O originated from H₂O instead of from the denitrification substrate NO. We conclude that in soil, the main source of atmospheric N₂O, the ¹⁸O signature of N₂O is mainly determined by H₂O due to O exchange between nitrogen oxides and H₂O. This also challenges the assumption that the O of N₂O originates from O₂ and NO, in ratios reflecting reaction stoichiometry. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The quantification of carbon dioxide in humid air and exhaled breath by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

The reactions of carbon dioxide, CO₂, with the precursor ions used for selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, SIFT‐MS, analyses, viz. H₃O⁺, NO⁺ and O, are so slow that the presence of CO₂ in exhaled breath has, until recently, not had to be accounted for in SIFT‐MS analyses of breath. This has, however, to be accounted for in the analysis of acetaldehyde in breath, because an overlap occurs of the monohydrate of protonated acetaldehyde and the weakly bound adduct ion, H₃O⁺CO₂, formed by the slow association reaction of the precursor ion H₃O⁺ with CO₂ molecules. The understanding of the kinetics of formation and the loss rates of the relevant ions gained from experimentation using the new generation of more sensitive SIFT‐MS instruments now allows accurate quantification of CO₂ in breath using the level of the H₃O⁺CO₂ adduct ion. However, this is complicated by the rapid reaction of H₃O⁺CO₂ with water vapour molecules, H₂O, that are in abundance in exhaled breath. Thus, a study has been carried out of the formation of this adduct ion by the slow three‐body association reaction of H₃O⁺ with CO₂ and its rapid loss in the two‐body reaction with H₂O molecules. It is seen that the signal level of the H₃O⁺CO₂ adduct ion is sensitively dependent on the humidity (H₂O concentration) of the sample to be analysed and a functional form of this dependence has been obtained. This has resulted in an appropriate extension of the SIFT‐MS software and kinetics library that allows accurate measurement of CO₂ levels in air samples, ranging from very low percentage levels (0.03% typical of tropospheric air) to the 6% level that is about the upper limit in exhaled breath. Thus, the level of CO₂ can be traced through single time exhalation cycles along with that of water vapour, also close to the 6% level, and of trace gas metabolites that are present at only a few parts‐per‐billion. This has added a further dimension to the analysis of major and trace compounds in breath using SIFT‐MS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of the kinetics of cathodic H2 evolution from the unhydrated H3O+ ion and its hydrated form H9O: Frequency factor effects and modes of activation

Experiments are described in which the kinetics of cathodic hydrogen evolution from the unhydrated H₃O⁺ ion in pure CF₃SO H₃O⁺ are compared with those from an aqueous solution of CF₃SO₃H where the proton is mainly in a fully hydrated state as H₉O. From the acid hydrate, which exists mainly as the ionic compound CF₃SOH₃O⁺, rates of H₂ evolution at Ni, Pt, and Hg electrodes, measured at a given overpotential or expressed as exchange current densities, are between about 3.5 and 20 times slower than those from the same electrolyte in dilute (1.0M) aqueous solution. Allowing for the concentration differences in these two types of system and double-layer effects, the rate constants are between about 9.4 and 216 times smaller for the reaction from H₃O⁺ than from H₉O at the above electrodes. The evaluation of apparent heats of activation for H₂ evolution from the two types of proton sources allows ratios of real frequency factors to be calculated for discharge from H₃O⁺ and H₉O. These data have a bearing on the theoretical conclusions regarding proton discharge mechanisms and show that frequency factor effects can be as important as activation energy differences in determining the rates of proton discharge from different proton sources. The results are discussed in terms of current ideas about electron and proton transfer in electrochemical reactions, the state of hydration of H⁺, and the role of discharge from paired CF₃SO and H₃O⁺ ions. In particular, the molecular mechanics of discharge of the proton from the molecular ion H₃O⁺ can be different from that from the fully hydrated H⁺ ion where many more HO- vibrational and librational modes can be involved in the process of activation of the H₉O entity.     

Evidence for the production of NO and N2O in two contrasting subsoils following the addition of synthetic cattle urine

Nitrogenous materials can be transferred out of the topsoil, either vertically to a greater depth, or in lateral pathways to surface waters, and they may also become transformed, with the potential of generating environmentally active agents. We measured the production of NO and N₂O in two contrasting subsoils (70 to 90 cm): one poorly drained and the other freely drained and compared this with the topsoil (0 to 20 cm) of the corresponding soils. The soils were incubated aerobically in jars with subtreatments of either synthetic cattle urine or deionised water and sampled at intervals up to 34 days. ¹⁵N‐NO was used to determine the processes responsible for NO and N₂O production. The headspace was analysed for the concentrations of N₂O, NO and CO₂ and ¹⁵N enrichment of N₂O. The soil samples were extracted and analysed for NO, NO and NH, and the ¹⁵N enrichment of the extracts was measured after conversion into N₂O and N₂. The study demonstrated the potential for NO, N₂O and NO to be generated from subsoils in laboratory incubations. Differences in these N dynamics occurred due to subsoil drainage class. In the freely drained subsoil the rates of NO and NO production were higher than those observed for the corresponding topsoil, with mean maximum production rates of 3.5 µg NO‐N g⁻¹ dry soil on day 16 and 0.12 µg NO‐N g⁻¹ dry soil on day 31. The calculated total losses of N₂O‐N as percentages of the applied synthetic urine N were 0.37% (freely drained subsoil), 0.24% (poorly drained subsoil), 0.43% (freely drained topsoil) and 2.09% (poorly drained topsoil). The calculated total losses of NO‐N as percentages of the applied synthetic urine N were 1.53% (freely drained subsoil), 0.02% (poorly drained subsoil), 0.25% (freely drained topsoil) and 0.08% (poorly drained topsoil). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Negative ion fragmentations of deprotonated peptides containing post‐translational modifications. An unusual cyclisation/rearrangement involving phosphotyrosine; a joint experimental and theoretical study

The characteristic fragmentations of a pTyr group in the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of the [M–H]^? anion of a peptide or protein involve the formation of PO (m/z 79) and the corresponding [(M‐H)^?–HPO₃]^? species. In some tetrapeptides where pTyr is the third residue, these characteristic anion fragmentations are accompanied by ions corresponding to H₂PO and [(M‐H)^?–H₃PO₄]^? (these are fragmentations normally indicating the presence of pSer or pThr). These product ions are formed by rearrangement processes which involve initial nucleophilic attack of a C‐terminal ‐CO [or ‐C(?NH)O^?] group at the phosphorus of the Tyr side chain [an S_N2(P) reaction]. The rearrangement reactions have been studied by ab initio calculations at the HF/6‐31+G(d)//AM1 level of theory. The study suggests the possibility of two processes following the initial S_N2(P) reaction. In the rearrangement (involving a C‐terminal carboxylate anion) with the lower energy reaction profile, the formation of the H₂PO and [(M‐H)^?–H₃PO₄]^? anions is endothermic by 180 and 318 kJ mol^?1, respectively, with a maximum barrier (to a transition state) of 229 kJ mol^?1. The energy required to form H₂PO by this rearrangement process is (i) more than that necessary to effect the characteristic formation of PO from pTyr, but (ii) comparable with that required to effect the characteristic α, β and γ backbone cleavages of peptide negative ions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy‐resolved depth profiling of metal‐polymer interfaces using dynamic quadrupole secondary ion mass spectrometry

Quadrupole secondary ion mass spectrometry (qSIMS) characterization of a metallized polypropylene film used in the manufacturing of capacitors has been performed. Ar⁺ primary ions were used to preserve the oxidation state of the surface. The sample exhibits an incomplete metallization that made it difficult to determine the exact location of the metal‐polymer interface due to the simultaneous contribution of ions with identical m/z values from the metallic and the polymer layers. Energy filtering by means of a 45° electrostatic analyzer allowed resolution of the metal‐polymer interface by selecting a suitable kinetic energy corresponding to the ions generated in the metallized layer but not from the polymer. Under these conditions, selective analyses of isobaric interferences such as ²⁷Al⁺ and ²⁷C₂H or ⁴³AlO⁺ and ⁴³C₃H have been successfully performed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mass spectrometric evidence for collisionally induced removal of H2 from monoanions of 10B nido‐carborane derivatives investigated by electrospray ionization quadrupole linear ion trap and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Some newly synthesized ¹⁰B nido‐carborane derivatives, i.e., 7,8‐dicarba‐nido‐undecaborane monoanions ([7‐Me‐8‐R‐C₂B₉H₁₀]^‐K⁺, R = H, butyl, hexyl, octyl and decyl), have been fully characterised and examined by electrospray ionization and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry with liquid chromatographic separation (LC/ESI‐FTICR‐MS). These boron‐containing compounds exhibit abundant molecular ions ([M]^?) at m/z 140.22631 [CB₉H₁₄]^?, m/z 196.28883 [CB₉H₂₂]^?, m/z 224.32032 [CB₉H₂₆]^?, m/z 252.35133 [CB₉H₃₀]^? and m/z 280.38354 [CB₉H₃₄]^? at the normal tube lens voltage setting of ?90 V, which was an instrumental parameter value selected in the tuning operation. Additional [M–nH₂]^? (n = 1?4) ions were observed in the mass spectra when higher tube lens voltages were applied, i.e., ?140 V. High‐resolution FTICR‐MS data revealed the accurate masses of fragment ions, bearing either an even or an odd number of electrons. Collision‐induced dissociation of the [M–nH₂]^? ions (n = 0–4) in the quadrupole linear ion trap (LTQ) analyzer confirmed the loss of hydrogen molecules from the molecular ions. It is suggested that the loss of H₂ molecules from the alkyl chain is a consequence of the stabilization effect of the nido‐carborane charged polyhedral skeleton. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Laser ablation of AgSbS2 and cluster analysis by time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Thin films of AgSbS₂ are important for phase‐change memory applications. This solid is deposited by various techniques, such as metal organic chemical vapour deposition or laser ablation deposition, and the structure of AgSbS₂(s), as either amorphous or crystalline, is already well characterized. The pulsed laser ablation deposition (PLD) of solid AgSbS₂ is also used as a manufacturing process. However, the processes in plasma have not been well studied. We have studied the laser ablation of synthesized AgSbS₂(s) using a nitrogen laser of 337 nm and the clusters formed in the laser plume were identified. The ablation leads to the formation of various single charged ternary Ag_pSb_qS_r clusters. Negatively charged AgSbS, AgSb₂S, AgSb₂S, AgSb₂S and positively charged ternary AgSbS⁺, AgSb₂S⁺, AgSb₂S, AgSb₂S clusters were identified. The formation of several singly charged Ag⁺, Ag, Ag, Sb, Sb, S ions and binary Ag_pS_r clusters such as AgSb, Ag₃S^?, SbS (r = 1–5), Sb₂S^?, Sb₂S, Sb₃S (r = 1–4) and AgS, SbS⁺, SbS, Sb₂S⁺, Sb₂S, Sb₃S (r = 1–4), AgSb was also observed. The stoichiometry of the clusters was determined via isotopic envelope analysis and computer modeling. The relation of the composition of the clusters to the crystal structure of AgSbS₂ is discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Charge stripping C

Measurements of the translational energy loss accompanying the charge-stripping reactions M⁺+N→M²⁺+N+e⁻ and M²⁺+N→M³⁺+N+e⁻ have been performed for C, C and C, C respectively. The energy nesessary to remove the second electron from Buckminsterfullerene was determined, Q=IE(C→C=12.25±0.5 eV.     

A fragmentation study of dihydroquercetin using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and its application for identification of dihydroflavonols in Citrus juices

A mass spectrometric method using electrospray ionization with triple quadrupole and quadrupole time‐of‐flight hybrid (Q‐Tof) mass spectrometry has been applied to the structural characterization of dihydroflavonols. This family of compounds has been studied by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for the first time in this work. A comprehensive study of the product ion MS spectra of the [M+H]⁺ ion of a commercially available standard has been performed. The most useful fragmentations in terms of structural identification are those that involve cleavage of the C‐ring, resulting in diagnostic ions of dihydroflavonol family: ^1,3A, ^1,2B, ^1,2B‐CO, ^0,2A, ^0,2A‐H₂O, ^0,2A‐CO, and ^0,2A‐H₂O‐CO, that allow the characterization of the substituents in the A‐ and B‐rings. In addition to those ions, other product ions due to losses of H₂O and CO molecules from the Y ion were observed. Their fragmentation mechanisms and ion structures have been proposed. The established fragmentation patterns have been used to successfully identity three dihydroflavonols found in tangerine juices for the first time. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ab initio study of the reaction of CHO+ with H2O and NH3

An MP4(full,SDTQ)/6-311++G(d,p)//MP2(full)/6-311++G(d,p) ab initio study was performed of the reactions of formyl and isoformyl cations with H₂O and NH₃, which play an important role in flame and interstellar chemistries. Two different confluent channels were located leading to CO+H₃O⁺/NH. The first one corresponds to the approach of the neutral molecule to the carbon atom of the cations. The second one leads to the direct proton transfer from the cations to the neutrals. At 900 K the separate products CO+H₃O⁺/NH are the most stable species along the Gibbs energy profiles for the processes. For the reaction with H₂O the reaction channel leading to HC(OH) (protonated formic acid) is disfavored with respect to the two CO+H₃O⁺ channels in agreement with the experimental evidence that H₃O⁺ is the major ion observed in hydrocarbon flames. According to our calculations, NH+H₂O are considerably more stable in Gibbs energy than NH₃+H₃O⁺;NH will predominate in the reaction zone when ammonia is added to CH₄+Ar diffusion flame, as experimentally observed. At 100 K the most stable structures are the intermediate complexes CO…HOH/HNH. Particularly the CO…HOH complex has a lifetime large enough to be detected and, therefore, could play a certain role in interstellar chemistry. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 20: 1432–1443, 1999     

Error assessment of nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate as determined via the bacterial denitrification method

Currently, bacterial denitrification is becoming the accepted method for δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO determination. However, proper correction methods with international references (USGS32, USGS34 and USGS35) are needed. As a consequence, it is important to realize that the corrected isotope values are derived from a combination of several other measurements with associated uncertainties. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the propagated uncertainty on the final isotope value. This study demonstrates how to correctly estimate the uncertainty on corrected δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO values using a first‐order Taylor series approximation. The bacterial denitrification method errors from 33 batches of 561 surface water samples varied from 0.2 to 2.1‰ for δ¹⁵N‐NO and from 0.7 to 2.3‰ for δ¹⁸O‐NO, which is slightly wider than the machine error, which varied from 0.2 to 0.6‰ for δ¹⁵N‐N₂O and from 0.4 to 1.0‰ for δ¹⁸O‐N₂O. The overall uncertainties, which are composed of the machine error and the method error, for the 33 batches ranged from 0.3 to 2.2‰ for δ¹⁵N‐NO and from 0.8 to 2.5‰ for δ¹⁸O‐NO. In addition, the mean corrected δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values of 132 KNO₃‐IWS (internal working standard) measurements were computed as 8.4 ± 1.0‰ and 25.1 ± 2.0‰, which is a slight underestimation for δ¹⁵N and overestimation for δ¹⁸O compared with the accepted values (δ¹⁵N = 9.9 ± 0.3‰ and δ¹⁸O = 24.0 ± 0.3‰). The overall uncertainty of the bacterial denitrification method allows the use of this method for source identification of NO. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of the silver nitrate and bacterial denitrification methods for the determination of nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate in surface water

Nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotope ratios of NO are often used to trace dominant NO pollution sources in water. Both the silver nitrate (AgNO₃) method and the bacterial denitrification method are frequently used analytical techniques to determine δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO in aqueous samples. The AgNO₃ method is applicable for freshwater and requires a concentration of 100–200 µmol of NO for isotope determination. The bacterial denitrification method is applicable for seawater and freshwater and for KCl extracts of soils with a NO concentration as low as 1 µmol. We have carried out a thorough method comparison using 42 real surface water samples having a wide range of δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO values and NO concentrations. Various correction pairs using three international references and blanks were used to correct raw δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO values. No significant difference between the corrected data was observed when using various correction pairs for each analytical method. Both methods also showed excellent repeatability with high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The ICC of the AgNO₃ method was 0.992 for δ¹⁵N and 0.970 for δ¹⁸O. The ICC of the bacterial denitrification method was 0.995 for δ¹⁵N and 0.954 for δ¹⁸O. Moreover, a positive linear relationship with a high correlation coefficient (r ≥ 0.88) between the two methods was found for δ¹⁵N‐ and δ¹⁸O‐NO. The comparability of the methods was assessed by the Bland‐Altman technique using 95% limits of agreement. The average difference between results obtained by the bacterial denitrification and the AgNO₃ method for δ¹⁵N was ?1.5‰ with 95% limits of agreement ?3.6 and +0.5‰. For δ¹⁸O this was +2.0‰, with 95% limits of agreement ?3.3 and +7.3‰. We found that for δ¹⁵N and for δ¹⁸O, 97% of the differences fell within these 95% limits of agreement. In conclusion, the AgNO₃ and the bacterial denitrification methods are highly correlated and statistically interchangeable. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Untersuchungen im System PO?WO?H2O?H3O+

Investigations in the System PO ? WO ? H₂O? H₃O⁺ By means of the molar ratio and Job'S method of continuous variations modified by us the composition of heteropolytungstates was determined using for the first time UV absorption spectroscopic techniques. For the case of the 1P:12W complex it is shown: In Na₂HPO₄ solutions acidified with HCl only the 12-tungstophosphate anion [PW₁₂O₄₀]^3? is formed. The complex formation in dependence on the acid degree Z is complete at Z = 23 H₃O⁺/12 WO = 1.92. For Z = 2.0 the consumption of H₃O⁺ has been calculated to be 5 moles H₃O⁺/1 mole HPO. Using Babko'S dilution method the stability constant of [PW₁₂O₄₀]^3? was determined to be β_k = 2.4 · 10¹² l² · mole^?2.     

The natural abundance of 15N in plant and soil‐available N indicates a shift of main plant N resources to NO from NH along the N leaching gradient

To investigate which of ammonium (NH) or nitrate (NO) is used by plants at gradient sites with different nitrogen (N) availability, we measured the natural abundance of ¹⁵N in foliage and soil extractable N. Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endlicher) planted broadly in Japan was selected for use in this study. We estimated the source proportion of foliar N (NH vs. NO) quantitatively using mass balance equations. The results showed that C. obtusa used mainly NH in N‐limited forests, although the dependence of C. obtusa on NO was greater in other NO‐rich forests. We regarded dissolved organic N (DON) as a potential N source because a previous study demonstrated that C. obtusa can take up glycine. Thus we added DON to our mass balance equations and calculated the source proportion using an isotope‐mixing model (IsoSource model). The results still showed a positive correlation between the calculated plant N proportion of NO and the NO pool size in the soil, indicating that high NO availability increases the reliance of C. obtusa on NO. Our data suggest the shift of the N source for C. obtusa from NH to NO according to the relative availability of NO. They also show the potential of the foliar δ¹⁵N of C. obtusa as an indicator of the N status in forest ecosystems with the help of the δ¹⁵N values of soil inorganic and organic N. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adaptation of a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer instrument to employ NO+ as reagent ion for the detection of 1,3‐butadiene in the ambient atmosphere

A proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR‐MS) instrument was adapted to employ NO⁺ as a chemical reagent ion without any hardware changes by switching the reagent ion source gas from water vapor to dry air. Ionization of dry air within the hollow cathode ion source generates a very intense source of NO⁺ with only a minor impurity of NO. The intensities of the primary NO⁺ reagent ion and the unwanted impurity NO are controllable and dependent on the operational conditions of the hollow cathode ion source. Ion source tuning parameters are described, which maintain an intense source of NO⁺ while keeping the impurity NO signal to less than 2% of the total reagent ion intensity. This method is applied to the detection of 1,3‐butadiene. NO⁺ reacts efficiently with 1,3‐butadiene via a charge exchange reaction to produce only the molecular ion, which is detected at m/z 54. Detection sensitivities of the order of 45 pptv for a 1‐s measurement of 1,3‐butadiene are demonstrated. We present the first real‐time on‐line sub parts per billion measurement of 1,3‐butadiene in the ambient atmosphere. The only likely interference is from 1,2‐butadiene. Concurrent measurements of benzene are provided and suggest that the vehicular emissions are the predominant source of 1,3‐butadiene in a suburban Boston area monitoring location. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.