Chemical Modifiers in Modern Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

The role of chemical modifiers in modern electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry is considered. It is demonstrated that the selection of the optimal chemical modifier largely determines the potential of the method for the analysis of complex samples. The mechanisms of the action of nitric and oxalic acids; magnesium, nickel, and ammonium nitrates; high-melting carbides; organic compounds, and some other; chemical modifiers are briefly discussed. The most promising fields of application of these modifiers are outlined.