Premium
Compound‐specific 81 Br/ 79 Br analysis by capillary gas chromatography/multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Author(s) -
Sylva Sean P.,
Ball Lary,
Nelson Robert K.,
Reddy Christopher M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.3211
Subject(s) - chemistry , mass spectrometry , isotope , detection limit , inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry , analytical chemistry (journal) , gas chromatography , inductively coupled plasma , chromatography , radiochemistry , plasma , nuclear physics , physics
Brominated organic compounds (BOCs) are of great interest in atmospheric chemistry, natural products, geochemistry, and marine chemistry. The Br isotope ratios ( 81 Br and 79 Br; average 81 Br/ 79 Br = 0.97277) have significant potential for the study of the source, transport, and fate of these compounds. Currently, there is no published method for determining the Br isotopic content of BOCs in complex mixtures. To measure the ratios of stable Br in BOCs on a compound‐specific basis, we assembled a gas chromatography/multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC/MCICPMS) system. Background signals, the formation of Ar dimers from organic hydrogen, and the solvent peak did not affect the results. The analysis of three brominated benzenes revealed that 0.3‰ precision can be attained when 0.3 nmol of Br are injected. For samples larger than 0.3 nmol Br, the isotopic precision was within a factor of 3 of the shot‐noise limit, which is the best possible statistical precision attainable avoiding all other sources of noise. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.