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Related Concept Videos

Isotopes01:12

Isotopes

65.1K
Elements have a set number of protons that determines their atomic number (Z). For example, all atoms with eight protons are oxygen; however, the number of neutrons can vary for atoms of the same element. The sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are called isotopes. Elements can have multiple isotopes, for example, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14.
An element's atomic mass, or weight,...
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Elements: Chemical Symbols and Isotopes02:31

Elements: Chemical Symbols and Isotopes

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A chemical symbol is an abbreviation used to indicate an element or an atom of an element. For example, the symbol for mercury is Hg. The same symbol is used to indicate one atom of mercury (microscopic domain) or to label a container of many atoms of the element mercury (macroscopic domain).
Some symbols are derived from the common English name of the element; others are abbreviations of the name in another language — Latin, Greek or German. For example, the symbol for aluminum (common name)...
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pH Scale02:41

pH Scale

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Hydronium and hydroxide ions are present both in pure water and in all aqueous solutions, and their concentrations are inversely proportional as determined by the ion product of water (Kw). The concentrations of these ions in a solution are often critical determinants of the solution’s properties and the chemical behaviors of its other solutes. Two different solutions can differ in their hydronium or hydroxide ion concentrations by a million, billion, or even trillion times. A common means of...
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Organic Compounds03:02

Organic Compounds

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All living things are formed mostly of carbon compounds called organic compounds. The category of organic compounds includes both natural and synthetic compounds that contain carbon. Although a single, precise definition has yet to be identified by the chemistry community, most agree that a defining trait of organic molecules is the presence of carbon as the principal element, bonded to hydrogen and other carbon atoms. However, some carbon-containing compounds such as carbonates, cyanides, and...
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Molecules and Compounds02:38

Molecules and Compounds

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Atoms and Molecules
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Isotopes and Radioisotopes01:28

Isotopes and Radioisotopes

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In the early 1900s, English chemist Frederick Soddy realized that an element could have atoms with different masses that were chemically indistinguishable. These different types are called isotopes — atoms of the same element that differ in mass. Isotopes differ in mass because they have different numbers of neutrons but are chemically identical because they have the same number of protons. Soddy was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921 for this discovery.
An isotope containing...
13.1K

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

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Picomolar-scale compound-specific isotope analyses.

Allison A Baczynski1, Pratigya J Polissar2, Dieter Juchelka3

  • 1Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.

Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM
|February 16, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a novel pico-scale compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) method, enabling high-precision carbon isotope measurements on picomole quantities of organic molecules. This breakthrough expands the scope of molecular isotope studies for challenging samples.

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Area of Science:

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Isotope Geochemistry

Background:

  • Traditional compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) require millimole sample sizes, limiting studies on low-concentration or scarce materials.
  • Existing methods are insufficient for high-precision isotopic analysis of picomole quantities of carbon in intact organic molecules.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a modified CSIA method capable of analyzing picomole levels of carbon in organic molecules.
  • To significantly enhance the sensitivity of CSIA for broader molecular isotope applications.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized narrow-bore capillary gas chromatography for improved sample transfer and peak width maintenance.
  • Minimized post-column peak broadening using micro-fluidic valves, capillary reactors, and cryogenic traps.
  • Optimized mass spectrometer settings for rapid data acquisition and high-precision isotope ratio measurements.

Main Results:

  • Achieved high accuracy (0.03‰) and precision (0.11‰) for direct carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) measurements of ≥30 pmol carbon.
  • Generated narrow CO₂ peak widths (250–500 ms), significantly narrower than conventional GC peaks.
  • Demonstrated accuracy of 0.3‰ and precision of 0.9‰ for replicate δ¹³C measurements of n-alkanes at 100 pmol levels.

Conclusions:

  • The developed pico-CSIA method offers two orders of magnitude reduction in sample size requirements.
  • Improved chromatographic resolution and sensitivity significantly expand analytical capabilities for CSIA.
  • Enables new research avenues in fields like forensics, paleoclimate, astrobiology, and biochemistry, previously limited by sample availability.