Dielectric Barrier Discharge Molecular Emission Spectrometer as Multichannel GC Detector for Halohydrocarbons

Abstract

A novel microplasma molecular emission spectrometer based on an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is described and further used as a promising multichannel GC detector for halohydrocarbons. The plasma is generated in a DBD device consisting of an outer electrode (1.2 mm in diameter) and an inner electrode (1.7 mm in diameter) within a small quartz tube (3.0 mm i.d. × 5.0 mm o.d. × 50 mm), wherein analyte molecules are excited by the microplasma to generate molecular emission. Therefore, the analytes are selectively and simultaneously detected with a portable charge-coupled device (CCD) via multichannel detection of their specific emission lines. The performance of this method was evaluated by separation and detection of a model mixture of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCl(3) and CCl(4)), brominated hydrocarbons (CH(2)Br(2) and CH(2)BrCH(2)Br), and iodinated hydrocarbons (CH(3)I and (CH(3))(2)CHI) undergoing GC with the new detector. The completely resolved identification of the tested compounds was achieved by taking advantages of both chromatographic and spectral resolution. Under the optimized conditions with the CCD spectrometer set at 258, 292, and 342 nm channels for determination of chlorinated hydrocarbons, brominated hydrocarbons, and iodinated hydrocarbons, respectively, this detector with direct injection provided detection limits of 0.07, 0.06, 0.3, 0.04, 0.05, and 0.02 μg mL(-1) for CCl(4), CHCl(3), CH(2)Cl(2), CH(3)I, CH(3)CH(2)I, and (CH(3))(2)CHI, respectively.

Microplasma-Based Detectors for Gas Chromatography: Current Status and Future Trends

“…A microplasma molecular emission spectrometer detector based on an atmospheric pressure DBD was described by Hou's group (66). This device was used as a multichannel GC detector for halohydrocarbons.…”

Grand challenges in analytical chemistry: towards more bright eyes for scientific research, social events and human health

“…The progress of gas chromatography mainly includes the miniaturization of instruments (Lee et al, 2008), the stationary phases (Gu and Yan, 2010), and detectors (Li et al, 2011). The application of new nanomaterials, sub-micromaterials, and functionalized recognition or affinity materials in the preparation of stationary phase or monolithic column is one of the most prominent progresses in this field.…”

Exploration of nano-surface chemistry for spectral analysis

“…A DBD-based gas chromatography (GC) detector was thus developed. Li et al [16] reported MES based on the combination of DBD and charge coupled device (CCD) as a multi-channel GC detector for the detection of VOCs. Compared to the traditional elemental detectors such as MS or ICP-AES/MS, a DBD detector possesses some attractive characteristics such as multi-channel, fast respond and high sensitivity, but simplicity, low-cost in construction and maintenance, and compactness in instrumentation.…”