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High surface area membrane introduction mass spectrometry for analysis of volatile and semi‐volatile organic compounds in air
Author(s) -
Riter Leah S.,
Takáts Zoltán,
Charles Laurence,
Cooks R. Graham
Publication year - 2001
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.401
Subject(s) - chemistry , polydimethylsiloxane , permeation , mass spectrometry , membrane , volatile organic compound , analytical chemistry (journal) , toluene , capillary action , chromatography , detection limit , helium , organic chemistry , composite material , biochemistry , materials science
The construction, optimization, and testing of a novel geometry for a semi‐permeable polydimethylsiloxane membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) system is described. A long poly(dimethylsiloxane) capillary membrane (0.30 mm i.d., 0.64 mm o.d., 60 cm long) was positioned coaxially inside polytetrafluoroethylene tubing (0.80 mm i.d. and 1.60 mm o.d.), allowing for a large surface area membrane of relatively small thickness. Helium, flowing counter‐current on the vacuum side of the membrane, swept the permeate into the mass spectrometer. This optimized geometry for permeation MIMS air analysis allows on‐line detection of volatile and semi‐volatile organic compounds of environmental interest, with limits of detection in the ppt range and a linear response over 3 to 4 orders of magnitude. The system is characterized by short rise and fall times, 10 and 48 s, respectively, for toluene. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.