Decontamination of geological samples by gas cluster ion beam etching or ultra violet/ozone

Purvis, Graham; Gray, Neil; Sano, Naoko; Barlow, Anders J.; Cockell, Charles S.; Abbott, Geoffrey D.; Land, Cees van der; Cumpson, Peter J.

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.06.016

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…() and Purvis et al. (). However, the quantity, complexity and chemical composition of the organic material in the OJP tuff was very different to the basalt samples and of particular interest is the presence of nitrogen and its association with organic carbon.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This baseline was used to measure the differences in carbon concentration resulting from decontamination procedures within WSB by Purvis et al. (). The column chart (SI, Figure ) shows the consistency of the metal element concentrations of the geological samples used in this investigation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To decontaminate surface bound adventitious organic carbon accumulated during sample recovery, storage and processing prior to XPS analysis, gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) etching was conducted for 120 s using nominally 1,000 atom Ar clusters at 4 keV over a 1.0 mm × 2.0 mm raster area, within the K‐Alpha X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer (Thermo Scientific, East Grinstead, UK) instrument, according to Purvis et al. (). Following decontamination, the samples were immediately analysed without removal from the ultrahigh vacuum conditions of the instrument.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study used the sum of the metal elements Al, Fe, Mg Na and Si occurring at >1 at % in basalt, reference surface concentration that could be used to compare the relative differences in the carbon and nitrogen concentrations between the samples used in this investigation. This baseline was used to measure the differences in carbon concentration resulting from decontamination procedures within WSB by Purvis et al (2017). The column chart (SI, Figure 1) shows the consistency of the metal element concentrations of the geological samples used in this investigation.…”

Section: Xps Analysis Of Surface Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bulk organic analysis was conducted using GC/MS with organic material extracted in-line using pyrolysis in the presence of 10 μl tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, sometimes called THM. Samples were trimmed of surface material then cleaned using a combination of ultra violet light and ozone using a Jelight 144 ultra violet/ozone (UV/O) cleaner for 20 min on each face of the sample, according to Purvis et al (2017). The trimmed and cleaned samples were then milled in a UV/O decontaminated stainless steel pestle and mortar and passed through a flamed stainless steel 150μm mesh in a laminar flow cabinet.…”

Section: Thm-gc/ms Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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The organic stratigraphy of Ontong Java Plateau Tuff correlated with the depth‐related presence and absence of putative microbial alteration structures

et al. 2018

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Structures in geological samples are often interpreted as fossilised life; however, such interpretations are equivocal, as abiotic processes can be invoked to explain their presence. Thus, additional lines of chemical evidence are invaluable in confirming or refuting such morphological evidence. Glass shards in tuff from the Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) contain microtubular structures that are in close proximity to functionalised nitrogen substituted aromatic compounds that may be indicative of the chemical remnants of biological activity. The organic composition of the OJP tuff containing microtubular alteration structures was compared with tuff without such features. In addition, organic matter associated with horizons with compacted remnants of woody material buried in the OJP tuff and overlying pelagic calcareous foraminifer sediment were also characterised, to ascertain the provenance of the organic matter found in the OJP tuff. As a further control, the organic material in submarine and terrestrial basalts from other locations were also characterised providing further evidence to support the view that the organic matter in the OJP tuff is authigenic. Carbon–nitrogen chemistry was detected across all OJP tuff samples irrespective of the presence or absence of microtubular features, but was not detected in either the wood material, the overlying pelagic sediments or in the basalts from other locations. The results indicate no direct link between the OJP nitrogenous organic compounds and the presence or absence of microtubular features.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Xps Analysis Of Surface Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Thm-gc/ms Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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