Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

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 benzotriazole and its derivatives
Stephanie Spahr1, Sebastian Huntscha, Jakov Bolotin
1Environmental Chemistry, EAWAG, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is an important tool for the identification of contaminant sources and transformation pathways, but it is rarely applied to emerging aquatic micropollutants owing to a series of instrumental challenges. Using four different benzotriazole corrosion inhibitors and its derivatives as examples, we obtained evidence that formation of organometallic complexes of benzotriazoles with parts of the instrumentation impedes isotope analysis. Therefore, we propose two strategies for accurate [Formula: see text]C and [Formula: see text]N measurements of polar organic micropollutants by gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS). Our first approach avoids metallic components and uses a Ni/Pt reactor for benzotriazole combustion while the second is based on the coupling of online methylation to the established GC/IRMS setup. Method detection limits for on-column injection of benzotriazole, as well as its 1-CH[Formula: see text]-, 4-CH[Formula: see text]-, and 5-CH[Formula: see text]-substituted species were 0.1-0.3 mM and 0.1-1.0 mM for δ(13)C and δ(15)N analysis respectively, corresponding to injected masses of 0.7-1.8 nmol C and 0.4-3.0 nmol N, respectively. The Ni/Pt reactor showed good precision and was very long-lived ([Formula: see text]1000 successful measurements). Coupling isotopic analysis to offline solid-phase extraction enabled benzotriazole-CSIA in tap water, wastewater treatment effluent, activated sludge, and in commercial dishwashing products. A comparison of [Formula: see text]C and [Formula: see text]N values from different benzotriazoles and benzotriazole derivatives, both from commercial standards and in dishwashing detergents, reveals the potential application of the proposed method for source apportionment.
More Related Videos
04:51Synthesis of Triazole and Tetrazole-Functionalized Zr-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks Through Post-Synthetic Ligand Exchange
Published on: June 23, 2023
12:47Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources
Published on: January 22, 2018
Related Concept Videos
NMR Spectroscopy of Benzene Derivatives
Mass Spectrometry: Aromatic Compound Fragmentation
Mass Spectrometry: Isotope Effect
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Nitration of Benzene
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Elimination–Addition
Nomenclature of Aromatic Compounds with Multiple Substituents
For disubstituted benzene derivatives, with two groups attached to the benzene ring, three constitutional isomers are possible. For example, consider dimethyl benzene, often called xylene, where the second methyl group can be substituted at the second, third, or fourth carbon. The relative position of the substituents is represented by prefixes ortho, meta, or...