the microwave-excited emissive detector in gas-phase chromatography-I Some studies with sulphur compounds

An examination is made of the characteristics of a microwave-excited emissive detector and its potential use in the gas chromatography of sulphur compounds. The column was operated slightly above atmospheric pressure (ca. 105 kN m (2)) and the microwave detector at a convenient reduced pressure (e.g., 13-40 mbar). It is concluded that the most sensitive and specific wavelengths for analytical purposes are not necessarily the same for all the sulphur compounds examined, viz. carbon disulphide, thiophen, thioglycollic acid, dimethylsulphoxide and sulphur dioxide. The spectra obtained for each compound with argon or helium as carrier gas were characterized and only the atomic lines due to sulphur at 190.0 and 191.5 nm, the CS system with a bandhead around 257.6 nm and the C(2) bandhead at 516 nm were shown to be common to the organic compounds (except CS for thioglycollic acid). Carbon disulphide was the most easily fragmented and gave a limit of detection of 0.2 ng of sulphur at 257.6 nm even with the low luminosity monochromator used. Thioglycollic acid was the least easily fragmented compound.     

A simple atmospheric microwave-excited emissive detector for gas chromatography

An atmospheric pressure microwave-excited emissive argon plasma is evaluated for use as a detector in conventional gas-chromatographic analysis. A range of carbon-, oxygen-, nitrogen- and halogen-containing compounds was investigated in order to optimize the sensitivity, linear working range and plasma operating conditions. For the non-selective determination of carbon-containing compounds, the atomic carbon emission at 247.9 nm was found to be most useful. At this wavelength the sensitivities for all the compounds investigated were directly proportional to the amount of carbon in the compounds. The limit of detection for these compounds at 247.9 nm was 1.94·10^-l0 g of carbon per sec. The atomic lines at 206.2 nm (I) and 470.5 nm (Br) were the best for the selective determination of iodine- and bromine-containing compounds respectively, and a new band emission at 256 nm, characteristic of chlorinecontaining compounds, gave good sensitivity.     

A new photoionization detector for gas chromatography

Summary A new photoionization detector for gas chromatography is discribed. The source of vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) radiation is separated from the ionization chamber by a window and thus the ionization chamber may be run at atmospheric pressure using an intense source of ionizing radiation. The operation consequently is improved and considerably simplified. Except for a ten times reduction in linearity, the performance characteristics of the detector are comparable to those of the flame ionization detector. Filtration of the VUV radiation allows the selectivity to be varied without affecting the dynamic properties of the detector.Z. ternberg, N. Ostoji, Yug. Pat. Appl.     

Method for analysis of heavy sulphur compounds using gas chromatography with flame photometric detection

A method for analysis of heavy sulphur compounds in wines, based on gas chromatography (GC) with flame photometric detection, is reported. Wine samples preparation includes a dichloromethane liquid-liquid extraction followed by concentration under a nitrogen atmosphere. The extracted fraction was also analysed by GC-mass spectrometry. The method enables high recovery of sulphur compounds in wine and satisfies the requirements of repeatability and sensitivity. Applications of the method to red, white and Port wines are reported.     

A surface ionization detector for capillary gas chromatography

A novel surface ionization detector using a reducing quartz liner and a Mo emitter with a quartz enclosed internal heater for selective measurement of alkylamines by gas chromatography is designed and evaluated.     

A helium ionization detector with a thermionic electron emitter for gas chromatography

The principal circuit of a helium ionization detector with a thermionic electron emitter (He-IDTEE) is described. The detector works at atmospheric pressure. The characteristics of the detector were studied. The difference between the voltammetric characteristics of He-IDTEE and that of a helium ionization detector with a radioactive source was shown. The dependences of the analytical signal, background signal, and noise on an accelerating voltage were analyzed. The dependences of the signal-to-noise ratio on the accelerating voltage were studied at different cathode temperatures. The optimal working conditions of the detector were selected. The detection threshold and linear dynamic range were measured. For isobutane, they were 3 × 10^?9 vol % and 2–4 orders of magnitude, respectively.     

MO-SCF-LCAO studies of sulphur compounds

Results from an MO-SCF-LCAO study of the electronic structure of the sulphate ion is reported. An extended sp basis set of contracted Gaussian functions has been used together with 3d polarization functions on the sulphur atom. The effect of these functions has been found to be significant, but not as large as has been suggested from previous calculations made with a minimal sp-basis. The effect of the 3d functions on a number of expectation values of one-electron operators has been studied.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird über die Ergebnisse einer MO-SCF-LCAO-Studie der Elektronenstruktur des Sulfations berichtet. Es wurde ein erweiterter sp-Basissatz von kontrahierten Gaußfunktionen zusammen mit 3d-Polarisationsfunktionen am Schwefelatom benutzt. Der Einfluß dieser Funktionen ist bedeutend, aber nicht so groß wie in früheren Rechnungen mit minimalen sp-Basissätzen vermutet wurde. Der Effekt der 3d-Funktionen auf eine Anzahl von Erwartungswerten von Einelektronen-Operatoren wurde untersucht.

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Résumé Résultats d'un calcul MO SCF LCGO sur la structure électronique de l'ion sulfate. On a utilisé une base sp étendue de fonctions gaussiennes contractées avec des fonctions de polarisation 3d sur l'atome de soufre. L'effet de ces fonctions s'avère significatif, mais cependant moins important que ne le laissaient prévoir des calculs antérieurs en base sp minimale. Etude de l'effet des fonctions 3d sur les valeurs moyennes des opérateurs monoélectroniques.

     

MO-SCF-LCAO studies of sulphur compounds

Theoretical Chemistry Accounts - Results from approximate Hartree-Fock calculations on the molecules H2S and SO2 are reported. The calculations employ two contracted Gaussian functions per atomic...     

Iodine-doped selective ionization detector for gas chromatography

During initial investigations of a detector for gas chromatography based on modifications of a field-emission argon ionization detector an intriguing selective response phenomenon was identified when iodine vapor was continuously introduced into the detection chamber. The detector was of a simple design consisting of two 1.5 × 0.5 cm concave electrodes mounted in a concentrical ceramic housing. With iodine continuously introduced into the housing via a thermally controlled diffusion tube, certain test compounds of interest, such as valeric acid, triethylphosphate, or aniline, provided analytically significant ionization responses while their hydrocarbon solvents and test compounds went undetected.     

A novel miniaturized flame ionization detector for portable gas chromatography

A novel miniaturized flame ionization detector (FID) operated by battery, which can be used as a detector in portable gas chromatography (GC) is devised and manufactured. It is characterized by the structure of building blocks, small volume, low energy consumption, and needing only two gases, which can be used for detection of hydrocarbons in portable GC. The miniaturized detector mainly includes a porous metallic diffuser plate, bugle-figuration collector, quartz capillary flame tip, and self-heated system. The miniaturized FID is easy to fabricate and assemble because of its structure of building blocks. The FID response is linear over six orders of magnitude and the detection limit of 0.518 ng for benzene, 0.430 ng for n-dodecane, 0.473 ng for naphthalene, and 0.509 ng for n-tetradecane.     

Comparison of various detection limit estimates for volatile sulphur compounds by gas chromatography with pulsed flame photometric detection

This paper addresses the variations that presently exist regarding the definition, determination, and reporting of detection limits for volatile sulphur compounds by gas chromatography with pulsed flame photometric detection (GC-PFPD). Gas standards containing hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S), carbonyl sulphide (COS), sulphur dioxide (SO(2)), methyl mercaptan (CH(3)SH), dimethyl sulphide (DMS), carbon disulphide (CS(2)), and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) in concentrations varying from 0.36ppb (v/v) up to 1.5ppm (v/v) in nitrogen were prepared with permeation tubes and introduced in the gas chromatograph using a 0.25-ml gas sampling loop. After measuring the PFPD response versus concentration, the method detection limit (MDL), the Hubaux-Vos detection limit (x(D)), the absolute instrument sensitivity (AIS), and the sulphur detectivity (D(s)) were determined for each sulphur compound. The results show that the MDL determined by the US Environmental Protection Agency procedure consistently underestimates the minimum concentrations of volatile sulphur compounds that can be practically distinguished from the background noise with the PFPD. The Hubaux-Vos detection limits and the AIS values are several times higher than the MDL, and provide more conservative estimates of the lowest concentrations that can be reliably detected. Sulphur detectivities are well correlated with AIS values but only poorly correlated with MDL values. The AIS is recommended as a reliable and cost-effective measure of detection limit for volatile sulphur compounds by GC-PFPD, since the AIS is easier and faster to determine than the MDL and the Hubaux-Vos detection limit. In addition, this study confirmed that the PFPD response is nearly quadratic with respect to concentration for all volatile sulphur compounds.     

A double plasma gas chromatography injector and detector

A direct-current, chip-based plasma has been used for gas sample injection in gas chromatography. A second identical plasma chip has been used as the excitation source for an optical emission detector. The first plasma is normally continually sustained during operation, causing continuous ionisation/fragmentation of the sample, whilst the second plasma records the optical emission downstream. For injection, the first plasma is briefly interrupted, introducing a "plug" of unmodified sample into the system. Injection plug sizes of between 5 and 50 [micro sign]l have been reproducibly obtained, although significantly smaller volumes may be possible with the use of smaller cross-section columns, lower flow rates and/or shorter plasma interruption times.     

Pulsed discharge emission detector: an element-selective detector for gas chromatography

An element-specific pulsed discharge emission detector (PDED) has been coupled directly with a vacuum UV monochromator so that vacuum UV atomic emissions from Cl, Br, I and S can be observed. The observed sensitivities for the elements are in the range of mid to high pg/s, but can be lowered by direct absorption of the radiation using a vacuum UV radiation photomultiplier tube. A helium pulsed discharge photoionization detector (He-PDPID) was run simultaneously in parallel with the PDED. The chromatograms recorded with the two detectors had similar peak shapes, suggesting that there is no peak tailing in the PDED. The ratio of the detector responses PDED/He-PDPID can be used for qualitative identification of the Cl-, Br-, I- or S-containing compounds.     

A dual ion-selective electrode detector for the simultaneous detection of bromine- and chlorine- containing compounds in gas chromatography

A dual ion-selective electrode gas chromatographic detector which allows the simultaneous detection of chlorine- and bromine-containing compounds through two-channel operation is described. Components eluted from the g.c. column are hydrogenated, the hydrogen chloride and hydrogen bromide produced being absorbed in a standard solution of halide; the ion concentrations in the resulting solution are monitored by chloride- and bromide-selective electrodes. The dual electrode detector gives two chromatograms simultaneously, one selective for chlorine- and bromine-containing compounds and the other for bromine-containing compounds. The response ratio, i.e., the peak area of the readout from the chloride channel divided by that from the bromide channel for the same compound, gives valuable information. The Cl/Br ratio in an eluted molecule can be determined accurately from the response ratio if a standard reference compound is injected simultaneously.     

Investigation of sulphur compounds in coal tar using monodimensional and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

Coal is a non renewable fossil fuel, used mainly as a source of electrical energy and in the production of coke. It is subjected to thermal treatment, pyrolysis, which produces coke as a main product, in addition to a condensed liquid by-product, called tar. Tar is a complex mixture of organic compounds which contains different chemical classes, presenting aromatic and sulphur heterocyclic compounds. In general, identification of these compounds requires steps of isolation and fractionation, mainly due to co-elution of these compounds with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The objective of this work is to characterize the sulphur compounds present in the coal tar obtained via pyrolysis, using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry detector (GC×GC/TOFMS). Coal samples from the State of Paraná, Brazil were subjected to laboratorial scale pyrolysis. Several experimental conditions were tested, such as sample weight (5, 10 and 15g), heating ramp (10, 25 and 100°C/min) and final temperature (500, 700 and 900°C). Samples were analyzed by one dimensional gas chromatography (1D-GC) coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometry detector (GC/qMS) and two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry detector (GC×GC/TOFMS). The higher amount of sulphur compounds was obtained at a final temperature of 700°C and a heating ramp of 100°C/min. The main classes observed in the color plot were thiophenes, benzothiophenes and alkylated dibenzothiophenes. GC×GC/TOFMS allowed the identification of the greater number of compounds and the separation of several sulphur compounds from one another. Moreover, separation of sulphur compounds from polyaromatic hydrocarbons and phenols was achieved, which was not possible by 1D-GC. Comparing GC×GC/TOFMS and 1D-GC (SIM mode) also showed that 1D-GC, one of the most employed quantification tools for sulphur compounds, can be misleading for detection, identification and quantification, as the number of isomers of sulphur compounds found was greater than theoretically possible.     

Analysis of low-volatility organic sulphur compounds in wines by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography

A method for analysing low-volatility sulphur compounds using solid-phase microextraction has been developed. The analytes were extracted directly from the liquid sample using fibres coated with different stationary phases. The best extraction efficiency was obtained with Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane coating. Ionic strength, sample volume, time and temperature of the extraction were optimised and the matrix effect studied. The method enables 15 sulphur compounds in wine to be determined at trace levels with recoveries close to 100% and limits of detection between 0.05 and 5 microg/L. The overall method was successfully applied to the determination of the sulphur compounds studied in several red, white and rosé wines.     

Improved synchronized accumulating radioisotope detector for gas chromatography

A synchronized accumulating radioisotope detector for radio gas chromatography was developed. It comprised seven gas-flow proportional counters each with an inner volume of 10 ml. Every counter tube was connected by a mutual anti-coincidence circuit to reduce the background. The transit time of gas particles in one counter tube could be set to an optimal value between 1 and 4 s by regulating the flow-rate of the counting gas, according to analytical requirements. The improved detector maintained high chromatographic resolution, which suggested the applicability of the apparatus to capillary gas chromatography.