Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Characterization, Quantification and Compound-specific Isotopic Analysis of Pyrogenic Carbon Using Benzene Polycarboxylic Acids (BPCA)
08:12

Characterization, Quantification and Compound-specific Isotopic Analysis of Pyrogenic Carbon Using Benzene Polycarboxylic Acids (BPCA)

Published on: May 16, 2016

Compound-specific isotope analysis of the organic constituents in carbonaceous chondrites

M A Sephton1, I Gilmour

  • 1Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK7 6AA, UK. m.a.sephton@open.ac.uk

Mass Spectrometry Reviews
|December 18, 2001
PubMed

More Related Videos

Combined Size and Density Fractionation of Soils for Investigations of Organo-Mineral Interactions08:38

Combined Size and Density Fractionation of Soils for Investigations of Organo-Mineral Interactions

Published on: February 15, 2019

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures09:38

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures

Published on: January 7, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Carbon Skeletons01:12

Carbon Skeletons

Life on Earth is carbon-based, as all macromolecules that make up living organisms contain carbon atoms. All organic compounds have a carbon backbone. Each carbon atom is tetravalent and can bond with four other atoms, making it an extraordinarily flexible component of biological molecules. Because carbon’s valence electrons are stable, it rarely becomes an ion. As the carbon chain increases in length, structural modifications such as ring structures, double bonds, and branching side chains...
What is Organic Chemistry?02:17

What is Organic Chemistry?

Organic chemistry is the study of compounds of carbon called organic compounds. Organic compounds either originate from living organisms or are synthesized by chemists. A defining trait of these compounds is the presence of carbon as the principal element, which is bonded to other carbon atoms and other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. The existence of a wide array of organic molecules is a consequence of carbon atoms’ ability to form up to four strong bonds to other...
Mass Spectrometry: Isotope Effect01:13

Mass Spectrometry: Isotope Effect

Most elements exist in nature as a mixture of isotopes. The isotopes differ in weight due to their respective number of neutrons. The molecular weight of a molecule is different depending on the specific isotope of its elements involved. As a result, the mass spectrum of the molecule exhibits peaks from the same fragment at multiple positions. The positions of these mass signals depend on the mass differences between isotopes. Furthermore, the intensity of these signals is dependent on the...
Mass Spectrometry: Alkyl Halide Fragmentation01:22

Mass Spectrometry: Alkyl Halide Fragmentation

Chlorine isotopes exist as 35Cl and 37Cl in a 3:1 ratio, while bromine isotopes exist as 79Br and 81Br in a 1:1 ratio. The mass spectrum of alkyl halides typically produces two distinct molecular ion peaks, the molecular ion peak, [M], and the molecular ion plus two, [M + 2] peak. The relative heights of these two peaks are proportional to the isotopic abundance ratios of the halide. For example, 2‐chloropropane and 1‐bromopropane display two peaks with relative peak heights in a 3:1 and 1:1...
Mass Spectrum: Interpretation01:24

Mass Spectrum: Interpretation

An unknown compound can be established by identifying the molecular ion peak in the mass spectrum. The molecular ion peak is often weak or absent due to the predominance of fragmentation in high-energy electron beams. In such cases, a soft-energy electron beam can be used to scan the spectrum to enhance the intensity of the molecular ion peak. Additionally, chemical ionization, field ionization, and desorption ionization spectra are used to obtain a relatively intense molecular ion peak.To...
Sample Preparation for Analysis: Advanced Techniques01:08

Sample Preparation for Analysis: Advanced Techniques

Accurate analysis of complex samples often requires advanced preparation techniques to achieve reliable and reproducible results. Samples containing inorganic or organic materials can be challenging to dissolve or decompose effectively. Standard sample preparation methods include acid digestion, fusion, dry ashing, and wet digestion.
Acid digestion with strong acids is commonly used to dissolve inorganic materials that are insoluble (do not dissolve) in water. This method can be useful for...