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Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Setup of Capillary Electrophoresis-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry CE-ICP-MS for Quantification of Iron Redox Species FeII, FeIII
Published on: May 4, 2020
High-Precision Oxygen-Isotope Analysis of Iron (Oxyhydr)oxides Using High-Temperature Conversion Isotope Ratio Mass
Nir Galili1, Anna Somlyay1, Giorgia Aquila1
1Geological Institute, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
We introduce a novel high-precision method for oxygen-isotope analysis of iron (oxyhydr)oxides using high-temperature conversion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HTC-IRMS). In this approach, a finely ground mixture of iron (oxyhydr)oxide and graphite is heated at 1450 °C in a helium flow environment, converting oxygen to CO gas with nearly 100% yield. Continuous-flow IRMS analysis of the liberated CO yields a precision of ±0.15‰ (1σ, n = 28) and shows excellent agreement with (and improved precision over) traditional fluorination methods. This practical and safe technique expands access to oxygen-isotope measurements of iron oxides, thereby enhancing their utility in Earth and environmental sciences.
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