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Multi-element detection of organometals by supercritical fluid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass
U T Kumar1, N P Vela, J A Caruso
1University of Cincinnati, Department of Chemistry, Ohio 45221-0172, USA.
Abstract:
Organometal compounds of arsenic, antimony, and mercury are speciated using supercritical fluid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) detection. The multi-element capability of ICP-MS for transient signals is examined by detecting five compounds containing all three elements in a single chromatographic injection. The results obtained are compared with those obtained from flame-ionization detection (FID). Trimethyl arsine is not distinguished from the solvent peak when FID is used because it coelutes with the solvent, whereas trimethyl arsine is detected when ICP-MS is used because of its element-selective nature. The detection limits obtained by ICP-MS are 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than those obtained by FID. Determination of isotope abundance is also demonstrated for triphenyl antimony and diphenyl mercury compounds.