Air monitoring of aldehydes by use of hydrazine reagents with a triazine backbone

Two hydrazine reagents, 4- N, N-dimethylamino-6-(4'-methoxy-1'-naphthyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2-hydrazine (DMNTH) and N-methyl-4- N', N'-dimethylamino-6-(4'-methoxy-1'-naphthyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2-hydrazine (MDMNTH) have been synthesized and used for the determination of aldehydes in air samples. Test tubes with the reagents coated on silica gel were prepared and used for monitoring of carbonyls in air. After elution with acetonitrile the hydrazones formed were separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Detection was performed by UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results were validated by use of standard atmospheres of the carbonyls and of nitrogen dioxide and ozone, as potential interferents. In comparison with established hydrazine reagents, e.g. 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), the results from use of MDMNTH correlate well; lower recoveries were obtained by use of DMNTH. The limits of detection for the new reagents are superior to those for DNPH, because of the possibility of fluorescence detection.