Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 13, 2025
08:23
Real-time Breath Analysis by Using Secondary Nanoelectrospray Ionization Coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Published on: March 9, 2018
9.0K
High Sensitivity Online Sensor for BTEX in Ambient Air Based on Multiphoton Electron Extraction Spectroscopy
Uriah H Sharon1, Lea Birkan1, Valery Bulatov1
1Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 30, 2025
Summary
A new Multiphoton Electron Extraction Spectroscopy (MEES) method detects benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in ambient air at ppt levels. This sensitive technique offers distinct spectral signatures for BTEX compounds, advancing air quality monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are prevalent volatile organic compounds contributing to air pollution.
- Strict regulatory limits necessitate sensitive and selective monitoring of BTEX in ambient air.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate Multiphoton Electron Extraction Spectroscopy (MEES) for online BTEX detection.
- To demonstrate MEES's capability for sensitive and selective quantitation of BTEX compounds at ambient conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized tunable UV laser pulses for resonant ionization of BTEX molecules.
- Applied a high electrical field to induce ionization and measured the generated photocurrent.
- Developed MEES for real-time, online monitoring of BTEX in ambient air.
Main Results:
- Achieved detection of BTEX compounds in ambient air at the part-per-trillion (ppt) concentration range.
- Obtained distinct spectral signatures for each BTEX compound, including individual xylene isomers.
- Demonstrated the sensitivity and selectivity of the MEES technique for BTEX analysis.
Conclusions:
- MEES is an innovative and effective technique for sensitive, selective, and online detection of BTEX.
- The method offers significant advancements for environmental sensing and industrial air quality control.
- MEES provides a powerful new tool for monitoring BTEX pollution.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Overview
2.6K
Atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) is an analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of a sample by analyzing the light emitted from excited atoms. In AES, atoms in a sample are excited to higher energy levels by thermal energy from high-temperature sources, such as plasma, arcs, or sparks. When these excited atoms return to lower energy states, they emit light at specific wavelengths characteristic of each element. The resulting atomic emission spectrum, which consists of...
2.6K
01:26Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
299
Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is the common plasma source used in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), a technique that detects and analyzes various elements in a sample. This method is often called inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used....
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used....
299
01:22Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
601
The instrumentation of atomic emission spectrometry (AES) involves various components, including atomization devices that convert samples into gas-phase atoms and ions. There are two main types of atomization devices: continuous and discrete atomizers. Continuous atomizers, like plasmas and flames, introduce samples in a constant stream, while discrete atomizers inject individual samples using syringes or autosamplers. The most common discrete atomizer is the electrothermal atomizer.
601
01:29Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab
246
AES is a powerful analytical technique, especially effective when used with plasma sources, producing abundant spectra in characteristic emission lines. The Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), in particular, yields superior quantitative analytical data due to its high stability, low noise, low background, and minimal interferences under optimal experimental conditions. However, newer air-operated microwave sources are emerging as promising alternatives that could be more cost-effective than...
246
01:14UV–Vis Spectrometers
1.5K
The absorbance of UV and visible (UV–visible) radiations is measured using a UV–visible spectrophotometer. Deuterium lamps, which emit UV radiation, and tungsten lamps, which produce radiation in the visible region, are used as light sources in UV–visible spectrophotometers. A monochromator or prism is used for diffraction grating, i.e., to split the incoming radiation into different wavelengths. A system of slits is used to focus the desired wavelength on the sample cell.
1.5K
01:15High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Types of Detectors
804
The role of the detectors in High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is to analyze the solutes as they exit from the chromatographic column. The detector recognizes the solute's property and generates corresponding electrical signals, which are converted into a readable graph of the detector's response versus elution time called a chromatogram at the computer. There are several types of HPLC detectors, each with its own advantages and limitations, depending on the analyte...
804