The reactions of O(3P) with ozone and carbonyl sulfide

The competitive reactions between 2-trifluoromethylpropene (TMP) and OCS for O(³P) atoms were studied between 300° and 523°K, using the mercury-senstitized photolysis of N₂O as a source of O(³P). From the known value for the rate constant of the O(³P) + TMP reaction, k₃ was found to be 1.6 × 10^?11 exp (?4500/RT) cm³/particle-sec, where reaction (3) is Mixtures of O₃ and OCS were photolyzed at 197°, 228°, 273°, and 299°K with radiation above 4300 Å to produce O(³P) from the photolysis of O₃, and thus study the competition between reaction (3) and From the above value of k₃, k₁ could be computed. When combined with all the previous data, the best espression for k₁ is k₁ = 1.2 × 10^?11 exp (?4300/RT) cm³/particle-sec.     

Offline oxygen isotope analysis of organic compounds with high N:O

Although the advantages of online δ¹⁸O analysis of organic compounds make its broad application desirable, researchers have encountered NO⁺ isobaric interference with CO⁺ at m/z 30 (e.g. ¹⁴N¹⁶O⁺, ¹²C¹⁸O⁺) when analyzing nitrogenous substrates. If the δ¹⁸O value of inter‐laboratory standards for substrates with high N:O value could be confirmed offline, these materials could be analyzed periodically and used to evaluate δ¹⁸O data produced online for nitrogenous unknowns. To this end, we present an offline method based on modifications of the methods of Schimmelmann and Deniro (Anal. Chem. 1985; 57: 2644) and Sauer and Sternberg (Anal. Chem. 1994; 66: 2409), whereby all the N₂ from the gas products of a chlorinated pyrolysis was eliminated, resulting in purified CO₂ for analysis via a dual‐inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry system. We evaluated our method by comparing observed δ¹⁸O values with previously published or inter‐laboratory calibrated δ¹⁸O values for five nitrogen‐free working reference materials; finding isotopic agreement to within ±0.2‰ for SIGMA® cellulose, IAEA‐CH3 cellulose (C₆H₁₀O₅) and IAEA‐CH6 sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁), and within ±1.8‰ for IAEA‐601 and IAEA‐602 benzoic acids (C₇H₆O₂). We also compared the δ¹⁸O values of IAEA‐CH3 cellulose and IAEA‐CH6 sucrose that was nitrogen‐'doped' with adenine (C₅H₅N₅), imidazole (C₃H₄N₂) and 2‐aminopyrimidine (C₄H₅N₃) with the undoped δ¹⁸O values for the same substrates; yielding isotopic agreement to within ±0.7‰. Finally, we provide an independent analysis of the δ¹⁸O value of IAEA‐600 caffeine (C₈H₁₀N₄O₂), previously characterized using online systems exclusively, and discuss the reasons for an average 1.4‰ enrichment in δ¹⁸O observed offline relative to the consensus online δ¹⁸O value. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Online high‐precision δ2H and δ18O analysis in water by pyrolysis

A method for online simultaneous δ²H and δ¹⁸O analysis in water by high‐temperature conversion is presented. Water is injected by using a syringe into a high‐temperature carbon reactor and converted into H₂ and CO, which are separated by gas chromatography (GC) and carried by helium to the isotope ratio mass spectrometer for hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis. A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate several issues such as sample size, temperature and memory effects. The δ²H and δ¹⁸O values in multiple water standards changed consistently as the reactor temperature increased from 1150 to 1480°C. The δ¹⁸O in water can be measured at a lower temperature (e.g. 1150°C) although the precision was relatively poor at temperatures <1300°C. Memory effects exist for δ²H and δ¹⁸O between two waters, and can be reduced (to <1%) with proper measures. The injection of different amounts of water may affect the isotope ratio results. For example, in contrast to small injections (100 nL or less) from small syringes (e.g. 1.2 µL), large injections (1 µL or more) from larger syringes (e.g. 10 µL) with dilution produced asymmetric peaks and shifts of isotope ratios, e.g. 4‰ for δ²H and 0.4‰ for δ¹⁸O, probably resulting from isotope fractionation during dilution via the ConFlo interface. This method can be used to analyze nanoliter samples of water (e.g. 30 nL) with good precision of 0.5‰ for δ²H and 0.1‰ for δ¹⁸O. This is important for geosciences; for instance, fluid inclusions in ancient minerals may be analyzed for δ²H and δ¹⁸O to help understand the formation environments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The inner‐salt zwitterion,the dihydrochloride dihydrate and the dimethyl sulfoxide disolvate of 3,6‐bis(pyridin‐2‐yl)pyrazine‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid

In the inner‐salt zwitterion of 3,6‐bis(pyridin‐2‐yl)pyrazine‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid, (I), namely 5‐carboxy‐3‐(pyridin‐1‐ium‐2‐yl)‐6‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)pyrazine‐2‐carboxylate, [C₁₆H₁₀N₄O₄, (Ia)], the pyrazine ring has a twist–boat conformation. The opposing pyridine and pyridinium rings are almost perpendicular to one another, with a dihedral angle of 80.24 (18)°, and are inclined to the pyrazine mean plane by 36.83 (17) and 43.74 (17)°, respectively. The carboxy and carboxylate groups are inclined to the mean plane of the pyrazine ring by 43.60 (17) and 45.46 (17)°, respectively. In the crystal structure, the molecules are linked via N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds, leading to the formation of double‐stranded chains propagating in the [010] direction. On treating (Ia) with aqueous 1 M HCl, the diprotonated dihydrate form 2,2′‐(3,6‐dicarboxypyrazine‐2,5‐diyl)bis(pyridin‐1‐ium) dichloride dihydrate [C₁₆H₁₂N₄O₄²⁺·2Cl⁻·2H₂O, (Ib)] was obtained. The cation lies about an inversion centre. The pyridinium rings and carboxy groups are inclined to the planar pyrazine ring by 55.53 (9) and 19.8 (2)°, respectively. In the crystal structure, the molecules are involved in N—H...Cl, O—H...O_water and O_water—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, leading to the formation of chains propagating in the [010] direction. When (Ia) was recrystallized from dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the DMSO disolvate 3,6‐bis(pyridin‐2‐yl)pyrazine‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid dimethyl sulfoxide disolvate [C₁₆H₁₀N₄O₄·2C₂H₆OS, (Ic)] of (I) was obtained. Here, the molecule of (I) lies about an inversion centre and the pyridine rings are inclined to the planar pyrazine ring by only 23.59 (12)°. However, the carboxy groups are inclined to the pyrazine ring by 69.0 (3)°. In the crystal structure, the carboxy groups are linked to the DMSO molecules by O—H...O hydrogen bonds. In all three crystal structures, the presence of nonclassical hydrogen bonds gives rise to the formation of three‐dimensional supramolecular architectures.     

Monthly sea surface temperature records reconstructed by δ18O of reef-building coral in the east of Hainan Island,South China Sea

Stable oxygen isotopic compositions of a coral colony ofPorites lutea obtained on a core allowed the reconstruction of a 56-a (1943–1998) proxy record of the sea surface temperatures. This coral δ¹⁸O data are from the east of Hainan Island water (22°20’N, 110°39’E), South China Sea. The relationship between δ¹⁸O in the skeletal aragonite carbonate and the sea surface temperature (SST) is SST = -5.36 δ¹⁸O_PDB-3.51 (r = 0.73,n = 470), dδ¹⁸O/d(SST) = -0.187‱/ °C; and the thermometer was set at monthly resolution. The 56-a (1943–1998) proxy record of the sea surface temperatures reflected the same change trend in the northern part of South China Sea as the air temperature change trend in China.

     

Monthly sea surface temperature records reconstructed by δ<Superscript>18</Superscript>O of reef-building coral in the east of Hainan Island,South China Sea

Stable oxygen isotopic compositions of a coral colony ofPorites lutea obtained on a core allowed the reconstruction of a 56-a (1943–1998) proxy record of the sea surface temperatures. This coral δ¹⁸O data are from the east of Hainan Island water (22°20’N, 110°39’E), South China Sea. The relationship between δ¹⁸O in the skeletal aragonite carbonate and the sea surface temperature (SST) is SST = -5.36 δ¹⁸O_PDB-3.51 (r = 0.73,n = 470), dδ¹⁸O/d(SST) = -0.187?/ °C; and the thermometer was set at monthly resolution. The 56-a (1943–1998) proxy record of the sea surface temperatures reflected the same change trend in the northern part of South China Sea as the air temperature change trend in China.     

Calibration of δ17O and δ18O of international measurement standards – VSMOW,VSMOW2, SLAP,and SLAP2

Due to exhaustion of the two primary calibration materials, Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) and Standard Light Antarctic Precipitation (SLAP), two replacement materials, VSMOW2 and SLAP2, were created with isotopic compositions as close as possible to the original standards in their D/H and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios. Measurements of the δ¹⁷O composition constitute therefore an appropriate independent check of the achieved isotopic adjustment. Aliquots from ampoules of VSMOW, VSMOW2, SLAP, and SLAP2 were fluorinated by BrF₅ and analyzed using a dual‐inlet Delta E mass spectrometer. VSMOW2 and SLAP2 were found to be indistinguishable from VSMOW and SLAP, respectively, in their δ¹⁷O and δ¹⁸O values within measurement uncertainties. This result is a confirmation of the successful isotopic matching of VSMOW2 and SLAP2 to their predecessors. Further checks of the δ¹⁷O value of SLAP2 seem desirable. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Minimization of sample requirement for δ18O in benzoic acid

The measurement of the oxygen stable isotope content in organic compounds has applications in many fields, ranging from paleoclimate reconstruction to forensics. Conventional High‐Temperature Conversion (HTC) techniques require >20 µg of O for a single δ¹⁸O measurement. Here we describe a system that converts the CO produced by HTC into CO₂ via reduction within a Ni‐furnace. This CO₂ is then concentrated cryogenically, and 'focused' into the isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) source using a low‐flow He carrier gas (6–8 mL/min). We report analyses of benzoic acid (C₇H₆O₂) reference materials that yielded precise δ¹⁸O measurement down to 1.3 µg of O, suggesting that our system could be used to decrease sample requirement for δ¹⁸O by more than an order of magnitude. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inter-laboratory calibration of new silver orthophosphate comparison materials for the stable oxygen isotope analysis of phosphates

Stable oxygen isotope compositions (δ¹⁸O values) of two commercial and one synthesized silver orthophosphate reagents have been determined on the VSMOW scale. The analyses were carried out in three different laboratories: lab (1) applying off‐line oxygen extraction in the form of CO₂ which was analyzed on a dual inlet and triple collector isotope ratio mass spectrometer, while labs (2) and (3) employed an isotope ratio mass spectrometer coupled to a high‐temperature conversion/elemental analyzer (TC/EA) where Ag₃PO₄ samples were analyzed as CO in continuous flow mode. The δ¹⁸O values for the proposed new comparison materials were linked to the generally accepted δ¹⁸O values for Vennemann's TU‐1 and TU‐2 standards as well as for Ag₃PO₄ extracted from NBS120c. The weighted average δ¹⁸O_VSMOW values for the new comparison materials UMCS‐1, UMCS‐2 and AGPO‐SCRI were determined to be + 32.60 (± 0.12), + 19.40 (± 0.12) and + 14.58 (± 0.13)‰, respectively. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comprehensive inter‐laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on‐line high‐temperature conversion techniques

Internationally distributed organic and inorganic oxygen isotopic reference materials have been calibrated by six laboratories carrying out more than 5300 measurements using a variety of high‐temperature conversion techniques (HTC) a in an evaluation sponsored by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). To aid in the calibration of these reference materials, which span more than 125‰, an artificially enriched reference water (δ¹⁸O of +78.91‰) and two barium sulfates (one depleted and one enriched in ¹⁸O) were prepared and calibrated relative to VSMOW2 b and SLAP reference waters. These materials were used to calibrate the other isotopic reference materials in this study, which yielded:

The reactions of alkoxy radicals with O2. II. n-C3H7O radicals

n-C₃H₇ONO was photolyzed with 366 nm radiation at ?26, ?3, 23, 55, 88, and 120°C in a static system in the presence of NO, O₂, and N₂. The quantum yields of C₂H₅CHO, C₂H₅ONO, and CH₃CHO were measured as a function of reaction conditions. The primary photochemical act is and it proceeds with a quantum yield ?₁ = 0.38 ± 0.04 independent of temperature. The n-C₃H₇O radicals can react with NO by two routes The n-C₃H₇O radical can decompose via or react with O₂ via Values of k₄/k₂ ? k_4b/k₂ were determined to be (2.0 ± 0.2) × 10¹⁴, (3.1 ± 0.6) × 10¹⁴, and (1.4 ± 0.1) × 10¹⁵ molec/cm³ at 55, 88, and 120°C, respectively, at 150-torr total pressure of N₂. Values of k₆/k₂ were determined from ?26 to 88°C. They fit the Arrhenius expression: For k₂ ? 4.4 × 10^?11 cm³/s, k₆ becomes (2.9 ± 1.7) × 10^?13 exp{?(879 ± 117)/T} cm³/s. The reaction scheme also provides k_4b/k₆ = 1.58 × 10¹⁸ molec/cm³ at 120°C and k_8a/k₈ = 0.56 ± 0.24 independent of temperature, where      

Methods and limitations of ‘clumped’ CO2 isotope (Δ47) analysis by gas‐source isotope ratio mass spectrometry

The geochemistry of multiply substituted isotopologues (‘clumped‐isotope’ geochemistry) examines the abundances in natural materials of molecules, formula units or moieties that contain more than one rare isotope (e.g. ¹³C¹⁸O¹⁶O, ¹⁸O¹⁸O, ¹⁵N₂, ¹³C¹⁸O¹⁶O₂^2?). Such species form the basis of carbonate clumped‐isotope thermometry and undergo distinctive fractionations during a variety of natural processes, but initial reports have provided few details of their analysis. In this study, we present detailed data and arguments regarding the theoretical and practical limits of precision, methods of standardization, instrument linearity and related issues for clumped‐isotope analysis by dual‐inlet gas‐source isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). We demonstrate long‐term stability and subtenth per mil precision in 47/44 ratios for counting systems consisting of a Faraday cup registered through a 10¹² Ω resistor on three Thermo‐Finnigan 253 IRMS systems. Based on the analyses of heated CO₂ gases, which have a stochastic distribution of isotopes among possible isotopologues, we document and correct for (1) isotopic exchange among analyte CO₂ molecules and (2) subtle nonlinearity in the relationship between actual and measured 47/44 ratios. External precisions of ～0.01‰ are routinely achieved for measurements of the mass‐47 anomaly (a measure mostly of the abundance anomaly of ¹³C‐¹⁸O bonds) and follow counting statistics. The present technical limit to precision intrinsic to our methods and instrumentation is ～5 parts per million (ppm), whereas precisions of measurements of heterogeneous natural materials are more typically ～10 ppm (both 1 s.e.). These correspond to errors in carbonate clumped‐isotope thermometry of ±1.2 °C and ±2.4 °C, respectively. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A binuclear manganese(II) complex,deca­aqua(μ‐1,2,4,5‐benzene­tetra­carboxyl­ato‐O1:O4)­di­manganese(II) hydrate

In the title Mn^II complex, [Mn₂(C₁₀H₂O₈)(H₂O)₁₀]·H₂O, two independent binuclear mol­ecules bridged by the 1,2,4,5‐benzene­tetra­carboxyl anion exist in a unit cell, with each anion lying about an inversion centre. One of the Mn—O_water distances [2.2922 (13) Å] is significantly longer than the Mn^II—O_water distances reported so far for Mn^II complexes and very close to the Mn—O_water distances found in the axial direction of Mn^III complexes.     

A dynamic soil chamber system coupled with a tunable diode laser for online measurements of δ13C, δ18O,and efflux rate of soil‐respired CO2

High frequency observations of the stable isotopic composition of CO₂ effluxes from soil have been sparse due in part to measurement challenges. We have developed an open‐system method that utilizes a flow‐through chamber coupled to a tunable diode laser (TDL) to quantify the rate of soil CO₂ efflux and its δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values (δ¹³C_R and δ¹⁸O_R, respectively). We tested the method first in the laboratory using an artificial soil test column and then in a semi‐arid woodland. We found that the CO₂ efflux rates of 1.2 to 7.3 µmol m^?2 s^?1 measured by the chamber‐TDL system were similar to measurements made using the chamber and an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) (R² = 0.99) and compared well with efflux rates generated from the soil test column (R² = 0.94). Measured δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of CO₂ efflux using the chamber‐TDL system at 2 min intervals were not significantly different from source air values across all efflux rates after accounting for diffusive enrichment. Field measurements during drought demonstrated a strong dependency of CO₂ efflux and isotopic composition on soil water content. Addition of water to the soil beneath the chamber resulted in average changes of +6.9 µmol m^?2 s^?1, ?5.0‰, and ?55.0‰ for soil CO₂ efflux, δ¹³C_R and δ¹⁸O_R, respectively. All three variables initiated responses within 2 min of water addition, with peak responses observed within 10 min for isotopes and 20 min for efflux. The observed δ¹⁸O_R was more enriched than predicted from temperature‐dependent H₂O‐CO₂ equilibration theory, similar to other recent observations of δ¹⁸O_R from dry soils (Wingate L, Seibt U, Maseyk K, Ogee J, Almeida P, Yakir D, Pereira JS, Mencuccini M. Global Change Biol. 2008; 14: 2178). The soil chamber coupled with the TDL was found to be an effective method for capturing soil CO₂ efflux and its stable isotope composition at high temporal frequency. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adducts of 1,1,1‐tris(4‐hydroxyphenyl)ethane with diamines: three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded frameworks formed with 1,6‐diaminohexane and 2,2′‐bipyridyl

The adduct 1,6‐di­amino­hexane–1,1,1‐tris(4‐hydroxy­phenyl)­ethane (1/2) is a salt {hexane‐1,6‐diyldiammonium–4‐[1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]phenolate (1/2)}, C₆H₁₈N₂²⁺·2C₂₀H₁₇O₃^?, in which the cation lies across a centre of inversion in space group P. The anions are linked by two short O—H?O hydrogen bonds [H?O 1.74 and 1.76 Å, O?O 2.5702 (12) and 2.5855 (12) Å, and O—H?O 168 and 169°] into a chain containing two types of R(24) ring. Each cation is linked to four different anion chains by three N—H?O hydrogen bonds [H?O 1.76–2.06 Å, N?O 2.6749 (14)–2.9159 (14) Å and N—H?O 156–172°]. In the adduct 2,2′‐bipyridyl–1,1,1‐tris(4‐hydroxy­phenyl)­ethane (1/2), C₁₀H₈N₂·2C₂₀H₁₈O₃, the neutral di­amine lies across a centre of inversion in space group P2₁/n. The tris­(phenol) mol­ecules are linked by two O—H?O hydrogen bonds [H?O both 1.90 Å, O?O 2.7303 (14) and 2.7415 (15) Å, and O—H?O 173 and 176°] into sheets built from R(38) rings. Pairs of tris­(phenol) sheets are linked via the di­amine by means of a single O—H?N hydrogen bond [H?N 1.97 Å, O?N 2.7833 (16) Å and O—H?N 163°].     

catena‐Poly[[[triaqua­cobalt(II)]‐μ‐2,6‐dioxo‐1,2,3,6‐tetra­hydro­pyrimidine‐4‐carboxyl­ato(2–)] 1.72‐hydrate]

The Co^II ion in the title complex {[Co(C₅H₂N₂O₄)(H₂O)₃]·1.72H₂O}_n, has a distorted octa­hedral coordination geometry comprised of three water ligands, one deprotonated pyrimidine N atom and an adjacent carboxyl­ate O atom of one orotate ligand. The sixth coordination site is occupied by an exocyclic O atom from a neighbouring orotate moiety, and through this inter­action a helicoidal chain is formed. The mol­ecules are linked by intra­molecular O_water—H⋯O and inter­molecular N—H⋯O and O_water—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three‐dimensional network.     

Carbon and oxygen isotope microanalysis of carbonate

Technical modification of the conventional method for the δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O analysis of 10–30 µg carbonate samples is described. The CO₂ extraction is carried out in vacuum using 105% phosphoric acid at 95°C, and the isotopic composition of CO₂ is measured in a helium flow by gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS). The feed‐motion of samples to the reaction vessel provides sequential dropping of only the samples (without the sample holder) into the acid, preventing the contamination of acid and allowing us to use the same acid to carry out very large numbers of analyses. The high accuracy and high reproducibility of the δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O analyses were demonstrated by measurements of international standards and comparison of results obtained by our method and by the conventional method. Our method allows us to analyze 10 µg of the carbonate with a standard deviation of ±0.05‰ for δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O. The method has been used successfully for the analyses of the oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of the planktonic and benthic foraminifera in detailed palaeotemperature reconstructions of the Okhotsk Sea. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calcite‐CO2 mixed into CO2‐free air: a new CO2‐in‐air stable isotope reference material for the VPDB scale

In order to generate a reliable and long‐lasting stable isotope ratio standard for CO₂ in samples of clean air, CO₂ is liberated from well‐characterized carbonate material and mixed with CO₂‐free air. For this purpose a dedicated acid reaction and air mixing system (ARAMIS) was designed. In the system, CO₂ is generated by a conventional acid digestion of powdered carbonate. Evolved CO₂ gas is mixed and equilibrated with a prefabricated gas comprised of N₂, O₂, Ar, and N₂O at close to ambient air concentrations. Distribution into glass flasks is made stepwise in a highly controlled fashion. The isotopic composition, established on automated extraction/measurement systems, varied within very small margins of error appropriate for high‐precision air‐CO₂ work (about ±0.015‰ for δ¹³C and ±0.025‰ for δ¹⁸O). To establish a valid δ¹⁸O relation to the VPDB scale, the temperature dependence of the reaction between 25 and 47°C has been determined with a high level of precision. Using identical procedures, CO₂‐in‐air mixtures were generated from a selection of reference materials; (1) the material defining the VPDB isotope scale (NBS 19, δ¹³C = +1.95‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?2.2‰ exactly); (2) a local calcite similar in isotopic composition to NBS 19 (‘MAR‐J1’, δ¹³C = +1.97‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?2.02‰), and (3) a natural calcite with isotopic compositions closer to atmospheric values (‘OMC‐J1’, δ¹³C = ?4.24‰ and δ¹⁸O = ?8.71‰). To quantitatively control the extent of isotope‐scale contraction in the system during mass spectrometric measurement other available international and local carbonate reference materials (L‐SVEC, IAEA‐CO‐1, IAEA‐CO‐8, CAL‐1 and CAL‐2) were also processed. As a further control pure CO₂ reference gases (Narcis I and II, NIST‐RM 8563, GS19 and GS20) were mixed with CO₂‐free synthetic air. Independently, the pure CO₂ gases were measured on the dual inlet systems of the same mass spectrometers. The isotopic record of a large number of independent batches prepared over the course of several months is presented. In addition, the relationship with other implementations of the VPDB‐scale for CO₂‐in‐air (e.g. CG‐99, based on calibration of pure CO₂ gas) has been carefully established. The systematic high‐precision comparison of secondary carbonate and CO₂ reference materials covering a wide range in isotopic composition revealed that assigned δ‐values may be (slightly) in error. Measurements in this work deviate systematically from assigned values, roughly scaling with isotopic distance from NBS 19. This finding indicates that a scale contraction effect could have biased the consensus results. The observation also underlines the importance of cross‐contamination errors for high‐precision isotope ratio measurements. As a result of the experiments, a new standard reference material (SRM), which consists of two 5‐L glass flasks containing air at 1.6 bar and the CO₂ evolved from two different carbonate materials, is available for distribution. These ‘J‐RAS’ SRM flasks (‘Jena‐Reference Air Set’) are designed to serve as a high‐precision link to VPDB for improving inter‐laboratory comparability. a Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of GC temperature and carrier gas flow rate on on‐line oxygen isotope measurement as studied by on‐column CO injection

Although deemed important to δ¹⁸O measurement by on‐line high‐temperature conversion techniques, how the GC conditions affect δ¹⁸O measurement is rarely examined adequately. We therefore directly injected different volumes of CO or CO–N₂ mix onto the GC column by a six‐port valve and examined the CO yield, CO peak shape, CO–N₂ separation, and δ¹⁸O value under different GC temperatures and carrier gas flow rates. The results show the CO peak area decreases when the carrier gas flow rate increases. The GC temperature has no effect on peak area. The peak width increases with the increase of CO injection volume but decreases with the increase of GC temperature and carrier gas flow rate. The peak intensity increases with the increase of GC temperature and CO injection volume but decreases with the increase of carrier gas flow rate. The peak separation time between N₂ and CO decreases with an increase of GC temperature and carrier gas flow rate. δ¹⁸O value decreases with the increase of CO injection volume (when half m/z 28 intensity is <3 V) and GC temperature but is insensitive to carrier gas flow rate. On average, the δ¹⁸O value of the injected CO is about 1‰ higher than that of identical reference CO. The δ¹⁸O distribution pattern of the injected CO is probably a combined result of ion source nonlinearity and preferential loss of C¹⁶O or oxygen isotopic exchange between zeolite and CO. For practical application, a lower carrier gas flow rate is therefore recommended as it has the combined advantages of higher CO yield, better N₂–CO separation, lower He consumption, and insignificant effect on δ¹⁸O value, while a higher‐than‐60 °C GC temperature and a larger‐than‐100 µl CO volume is also recommended. When no N₂ peak is expected, a higher GC temperature is recommended, and vice versa. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of δ18O in soils: measuring conditions and a potential application

The stable oxygen isotope signature (δ¹⁸O) of soil is expected to be the result of a mixture of components within the soil with varying δ¹⁸O signatures. Thus, the δ¹⁸O of soils should provide information about the soil's substrate, especially about the relative contribution of organic matter versus minerals. As there is no standard method available for measuring soil δ¹⁸O, the method for the measurement of single components using a high‐temperature conversion elemental analyser (TC/EA) was adapted. We measured δ¹⁸O in standard materials (IAEA 601, IAEA 602, Merck cellulose) and soils (organic and mineral soils) in order to determine a suitable pyrolysis temperature for soil analysis. We consider a pyrolysis temperature suitable when the yield of signal intensity (intensity of mass 28 per 100 µg) is at a maximum and the acquired raw δ¹⁸O signature is constant for the standard materials used and when the quartz signal from the soil is still negligible. After testing several substances within the temperature range of 1075 to 1375°C we decided to use a pyrolysis temperature of 1325°C for further measurements. For the Urseren Valley we have found a sequence of increasing δ¹⁸O signatures from phyllosilicates to upland soils, wetland soils and vegetation. Our measurements show that the δ¹⁸O values of upland soil samples differ significantly from wetland soil samples. The latter can be related to the changing mixing ratio of the mineral and organic constituents of the soil. For wetlands affected by soil erosion, we have found intermediate δ¹⁸O signatures which lie between typical signatures for upland and wetland sites and give evidence for the input of upland soil material through erosion. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.