Analysis of gaseous arsenic species and stability studies of arsine and trimethylarsine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A rapid method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed for analysis of four volatile arsenic species: arsine, monomethylarsine (MMA), dimethylarsine (DMA) and trimethylarsine (TMA). With the proposed method gaseous arsenic species could be determined in less than 2 min and no pre-treatment for gas phase samples was needed, which minimized the risks of species conversion before analysis. The detection limits for different species were 24–174 pg. The standards for arsine, MMA and DMA were prepared by reaction between arsenic acid, monomethylarsonic acid or dimethylarsinic acid with tetrahydroborate(III) and nitric acid. The effect of pH on recovery of different arsine species was examined and is discussed. The TMA was obtained commercially as liquid. Also stability of inorganic (arsine) and organic (TMA) gaseous arsenic species in air was studied as a function of time.     

Analytical methods for airborne arsine,silane and dichlorosilane by adsorption sampling and AA spectrophotometry

Analytical methods for arsine, silane and dichlorosilane by adsorption sampling and elemental analysis with graphite furnace AA were studied to establish convenient methods for atmospheric contamination surveys. This study included the following five items: (1) primary selection of adsorbents applicable to adsorption sampling; (2) examination of the adsorption capacities of the adsorbents for the gases; (3) improvement of the adsorbents by chemical modification; (4) desorption of the gases adsorbed on the adsorbents with solvents; and (5) quantitative analysis of arsenic and silicon in the solutions. Experimental results showed that active carbon made from synthetic thermosetting resin beads contained no aresenic and little silicon as impurities. This active carbon by itself was proved to adsorb arsine and dichlorosilane, but not silane. Impregnation with sodium hydroxide of the active carbon improved the adsorption capacity for all three gases. Refined silica gel, free from arsenic contamination, did not adsorb arsine by itself but potassium permanganate impregnation produced an adsorption capacity for arsine. The adsorbed arsine on the active carbon was desorbed into a hot dilute nitric acid solution with high efficiency (over 90%), but arsine adsorbed on sodium hydroxide impregnated active carbon or on potassium permanganate impregnated silica gel was dissolved into various solutions only at lower efficiencies. Silane adsorbed on sodium hydroxide-impregnated active carbon was desorbed with hot water with an efficiency higher than 90%. Dichlorosilane adsorbed on the active carbon with or without sodium hydroxide impregnation was desorbed with a nitric acid solution with efficiency of 85%. The lower determination limit for arsine able to discriminate from background interference of arsenie was 0.005 ppm, and those for silane and dichlorosilane were each 0.05 ppm for 3-dm³ air samples.     

Direct determination of arsine in gases by inductively coupled plasma-dynamic reaction cell-mass spectrometry

Reliable determination of arsine (AsH₃) in gases is of great importance due to stringent regulations associated with health, safety and environmental issues. It is, however, challenging for an analyst to determine trace airborne arsine concentrations without specifically designed collection procedures using adsorption, desorption, dissolution or impinging techniques. To circumvent such technical barrier, we have newly developed a direct analytical method, characterized by introduction of an arsine gas sample into stable plasma stream, followed by gas-phase oxidation of arsine with molecular oxygen in a dynamic reaction cell (DRC) equipped within the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) system, followed by subsequent detection of AsO⁺ ion. This preliminary work used trace arsine concentrations (161 μg m⁻³, 322 μg m⁻³, and 645 μg m⁻³) gravimetrically prepared in N₂ balance. The proposed method was optimized for the important experimental parameters such as the flow rates of the reaction gas, the arsine sample, and the carrier gas. This method was then validated by demonstrating good figure-of-merits including the low limit of detection (0.10 μg m⁻³), good linearity (r² > 0.9915), low measurement uncertainty (0.66%), and high speed of analysis (<6 min). The proposed method is expected to be potentially applicable to the determination of arsine in real workplace air after appropriate modifications are made.     

Analysis of part-per-billion level of arsine and phosphine in light hydrocarbons by capillary flow technology and dielectric barrier discharge detector

A practical gas chromatographic procedure has been developed and implemented for the measurement of arsine and phosphine in hydrocarbons such as propylene at the part-per-billion level. The successful measurement of arsine and phosphine at the level mentioned was attained by incorporating a large volume injection technique to increase the mass of solutes delivered for sensitivity improvement, capillary flow technology to keep the matrix from entering the detector by either back-flushing through the inlet vent, or by heart-cutting if required, and dielectric barrier discharge detector operating in argon mode for sensitivity enhancement, as well as offering improved selectivity towards the solutes cited. Using the technique described a complete analysis can be conducted in less than 4 min. A relative standard precision of less than 1.7% was achieved with repeated injections at the concentration level of 25 and 125 ppb (v/v) each of arsine and phosphine in nitrogen with a practical detection limit at the 5 ppb (v/v) level. Correlation coefficients of greater than 0.9999 were obtained for arsine and phosphine over a range from 10 to 2500 ppb (v/v). The analytical methodology was proven to be reliable in continuous operation during the first 6 months of deployment.     

Determination of total arsenic by use of a zinc-column arsine generator

A method for the measurement of total arsenic in extracts of environmental materials is described. Arsenic is reduced to arsine with a zinc reductor column, the evolved arsine is decomposed in a heated carbon-tube furnace, and arsenic determined by measurement of its atomic-absorption at 193.7 nm. The detection limit is 0.002 mug/ml and the coefficient of variation is 1.4% at 0.01 mug/ml.     

The origin of arsenobetaine in marine animals

Trimethyl(carboxymethyl)arsonium zwitterion (arsenobetaine) is virtually ubiquitous in marine animals consumed by man. Experimental work on the transformation of arsenate to arsenobetaine in the marine environment is reviewed. Current evidence favors the conversion of arsenate to dimethyl(ribosyl)arsine oxides by algae, and the microbially mediated transformation of dimethyl(ribosyl)arsine oxides to arsenobetaine or to its immediate precursors in the sediments. Information about the transfer of arsenobetaine from the sediments to marine animals is lacking.     

The application of non-cross-linked polystyrene-supported triphenylarsine in Stille coupling reactions

NCPS-AsPh₃ is a soluble polymer-supported triphenylarsine that performed equally well compared to free triphenylarsine as ligands in the Stille cross-coupling reaction of organic electrophiles and organostannanes, with the advantage that it can be conveniently and efficiently separated from the reaction by precipitation, and recycled for further use. The performance of this non-cross-linked polystyrene-supported arsine was found to be generally superior in Stille coupling reactions over the analogous polymer-supported phosphine, paralleling observations on the free ligands. Palladium-catalyzed modification of the polymer-supported arsine was possible through Pd-Ar/As-Ph exchange. Exploiting the ease of isolation of the polymer-supported reagent, the modified arsine is recycled for reuse in the Stille reaction and has led to a reduction in the yield of undesired scrambling products.     

Sequential spectrophotometric determination of inorganic arsenic species by hydride generation from selective medium reactions and colour bleaching of permanganate

A simple spectrophotometric method is presented for the sequential determination of inorganic arsenic (As) species in one sample. It is based on the sequential arsine generation from As(III) and As(V) using selective medium reactions, collection of the arsine generated in an absorbing solution containing permanganate and ethanol at 5 °C and subsequent reduction of permanganate by arsine. The decrease in permanganate absorbance at 524.2 nm is monitored for As determination. The acetic acid/sodium acetate and HCl mediums were used for selective arsine generation from As(III) and remaining As(V) in one solution, respectively. The effect of interferences and their possible mechanisms were discussed. Interferences from transition metal ions were removed by using a Chelex 100 resin. Under optimized conditions, the established method is applicable to the determination of 3-30 μg of each arsenic species. Good recoveries (96-102%) of spiked artificial sea water, tap water and standard mixtures of As(III) and As(V) were also found. The method is simple, accurate, precise and environmental friendly.     

GC–ICP–MS法测定丙烯中的痕量砷化氢

建立GC–ICP–MS直接进样法测定丙烯中痕量砷化氢的方法。采用GS Gaspro毛细柱进行分离,气相色谱载气流速为3.5 mL/min,分流比为6∶1,ICP–MS积分时间为0.5 s,载气流速为0.83 L/min,增敏气为含有20%(体积分数)氮气的氩气,压力为206.85 kPa。砷化氢的检出限为0.09 nL/L,在5 nL/L和80 nL/L加标水平下的回收率分别为102%和104%,测定结果的相对标准偏差小于3%(n=6)。结果表明该方法简单快速,可用于丙烯中痕量砷化氢的测定。     

膦、胂叶立德的化学与应用(ⅩⅣ)——膦、胂叶立德和丙炔酸甲酯的反应及部分加合物的水解

本文研究了甲氧羰基亚甲基三苯基胂(1b)、苯甲酰基亚甲基三苯基膦(1b)、胂、乙酰基亚甲基三苯基膦、胂、氰基亚甲基三苯基膦、胂、对-硝基苯基亚甲基三苯基膦(1i)和1-甲基-2-乙氧羰基亚甲基三苯基膦等9个膦、胂叶立德与丙炔酸甲酯(2)的反应以及1b和2反应的加合产物1,3-二甲氧羰基亚烯丙基三苯基胂(3b)及1i和2反应的加合产物1-甲氧羰基-3-对硝基苯基亚烯丙基三苯基膦(3i)在含水甲醇中的水解。     

Electroreduction of As(III) in Acid Environment

The main reduction products of aqueous sulfuric acid solutions of As(III) are arsine and elemental arsenic, whose yields are substantially dependent on the electrolysis conditions. At a current density of 500 A m^–2and an As(III) concentration of 0.25 M, the following current efficiencies (CE) for arsenic and arsine are obtained: Cd, 28.2 and 26.2; Pb, 29.3 and 22.9; Ti, 16.1 and 22.4; steel 3, 21.0 and 21.0; Cu, 20.3 and 19.9; and stainless steel, 24.9 and 16.9. For arsine, CE on a Pb cathode is virtually temperature-independent at 15–80°C. Multiple use of the same Pb cathode barely impacts its activity. The arsine CE considerably increases at 2500–3000 A m^–2and reaches 75–78% and 50–53% on Pb and Cd, respectively.     

Improved Method for Making Electrodeless Discharge Lamps

Abstract

Arsenic electrodeless discharge lamps have been made with arsine gas as the source of arsenic. Lamps using arsine have been shown to be reproducible, intense, stable and long lived.     

Electrochemical Reduction of Arsenic Acid

It is found that arsenic acid in aqueous solutions is reduced chiefly to arsine, whose yield substantially depends on the cathode material nature and electrolysis conditions. The yield increases with the acid concentration and catholyte temperature. The maximum yield (current efficiency of about 50%) is obtained on a cadmium cathode. Hydrochloric acid or cationic surface-active substances present in the catholyte raise the arsine yield on a copper cathode by more than two times and make no impact on the yield on a cadmium cathode. A possible mechanism of the observed phenomena is discussed.     

Oxidative Trapping of Unstable Gaseous Arsines by Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide was employed as an oxidizing agent for a new method for trapping unstable gaseous arsines. Resin cartridges wetted with hydrogen peroxide trapped over 90% of the gaseous arsines (arsine, methylarsine, dimethylarsine, and trimethylarsine) from laboratory samples. The oxidized products (arsenic acid, methylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, and trimethylarsine oxide) are relatively stable in Milli-Q water, so they could be extracted from the cartridges and analyzed by liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry at nanogram per milliliter concentrations. We also used our new method to determine arsine concentrations in field samples from Nishinomaki mine and Tamagawa hot spring in Japan. Inorganic arsine was detected at the highest concentration for each sampling point, and trimethylarsine was observed in the Nishinomaki mine and at one sampling site of the Tamagawa hot spring. This trimethylarsine may have been produced by a variety of microorganisms.

Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Analytical Letters for the following free supplemental resource(s): tables.     

Stabilisation of copper(II) tertiary-phosphine or -arsine complexes—II. Role of inductive effect and reaction conditions in stabilising copper(II)-arsine complexes of hybrid oxygen-arsenic ligands from o-R2AsC6H4CO2H

The characterization of the products of reactions between anhydrous/hydrated copper(II) acetate and the title acids having R = Me, C₆H₁₁, Ph and p-tolyl in different solvents and at different temperatures with the help of elemental analysis, TGA, DTA, room temperature magnetic susceptibility, IR, and UV-VIS and EPR spectral data reveal that a competition exists between the chelation of arsine to copper(II) on one side and the reduction of copper(II) to copper(I) and the subsequent chelation of the arsine to copper(I) and/or that of the arsine oxide to copper(II) on the other. This competition which is expected to be normally governed by the inductive effect of group R is disturbed by the change in reaction conditions leading to the conclusion that the reaction conditions rather than the inductive effect of the group R control the mode of reaction.     

The determination of traces of arsenic in water by arsine generation and radiometric analysis

A tracer method based on the concentration-dependent distribution principle has been developed for trace arsenic determination. Standard and sample arsenic solutions labelled with a fixed amount of radioactive arsenic-74 are isolated by arsine generation with sodium borohydride followed by absorption in potassium iodide—iodine solution. The separated arsenic(III) is then extracted with equal but limited amounts of zinc diethyldithiocarbamate in chloroform and determined radiometrically by the concentration-dependent distribution principle. The method is practically free from interferences, and arsenic in aqueous solution as low as 0.5 ng ml^-1 can be determined. Results for natural and environmental water samples are compared with results obtained by the arsine generation-atomic absorption technique.     

Tertiary arsine-stabilised arsenium salts: syntheses and comparisons with phosphine analogues

The first tertiary arsine-stabilised arsenium salts, [(L)AsMePh]OTf (L = Ph3As, Me2PhAs, [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]Ph2As, [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]Me2As), have been prepared by chloride abstraction from chloromethylphenylarsine with trimethylsilyl triflate in the presence of the arsine. The complexes have been characterised by crystallography and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The chiral cations in the complexes have structures based on the trigonal pyramid in which the arsine is coordinated orthogonally to the prochiral, six-electron MePhAs+ ion that forms the base of the pyramid. The NMR data for the complexes in dichloromethane-d2 are consistent with rapid exchange of the arsine on the arsenium ion, even at 183 K. The corresponding phosphine-stabilised complexes are considerably more stable than their arsine counterparts in dichloromethane-d2 with the free energy of activation DeltaG = ca. 60 kJ mol(-1) being calculated for phosphine exchange in [(Me2PhP)AsMePh]OTf at 281 K; for [(Me2[2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]P)AsMePh]OTf in the same solvent, DeltaG = ca. 70 kJ mol(-1) at 323 K.     

Interference effect in the atomic absorption spectrometric determination of arsenic in filter-collected air samples

The arsenic response obtained by arsine generation is decreased by the presence of the filter digest; a period of 25 min after mixing is needed before added arsenic gives a constant response.     

A simple and rapid hydride generation—atomic absorption method for the determination of arsenic in biological,environmental and geological samples

An inexpensive 50-ml disposable (hypodermic) syringe is used as the arsine generation vessel. The arsine is passed into a 10-cm long. 10-mm i.d. electrically heated silica tube atomizer with nitrogen carrier gas. Excess of hydrogen is burned off in a hydrogen diffusion flame at the ends of the tube. Samples containing appreciable silica are fused with KOH—MgO_XXX while organic samples are digested with H₂SO₄—H₂O₂. Parameters affecting the determination of arsenic as arsine have been investigated. Collaborative results on a variety of standard reference materials agree well with literature values. The advantages of the proposed method are that it is sensitive, selective, fast, simple, inexpensive, precise and accurate.     

A study of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) reduction and of arsine decomposition in hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry

The difference in behaviour of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) in their conversion to arsine by reduction with sodium tetrahydroborate, and the role of the addition of oxygen and hydrogen to the carrier gas in the production of arsenic atoms are described.