Determination of alcohol compounds using corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry.
Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a very fast, highly sensitive, and inexpensive technique, it permits efficient monitoring of volatile organic compounds like alcohols. In this article, positive ion mobility spectra for six alcohol organic compounds have been systematically studied for the first time using a high-resolution IMS apparatus equipped with a discharge ionization source. Utilizing protonated water cluster ions (H2O)n H+ as the reactant ions and clean air as the drift gas, alcohol organic compounds, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol and 2-octanol, all exhibit product ion characteristic peaks in their respective ion mobility spectrometry, that is a result of proton transfer reactions between the alcohols and reaction ions (H2O)n H+. The mixture of these alcohols, including two isomers, has been detected, and the results showed that they could be distinguished effectively in the ion mobility spectrum. The reduced mobility values have been determined, which are in very well agreement with the traditional 63Ni-IMS experimental values. The exponential dilution method was used to calibrate the alcohol concentrations, and a detection limit available for the alcohols is in order of magnitude of a few ng/L.
Han
Hai-yan
HY
Laboratory of Environmental Spectroscopy and Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China. hanhy0226@yahoo.com.cn
Huang
Guo-dong
GD
Jin
Shun-ping
SP
Zheng
Pei-chao
PC
Xu
Guo-hua
GH
Li
Jian-quan
JQ
Wang
Hong-mei
HM
Chu
Yan-nan
YN
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000438:Alcohols / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009532:Nickel; D011868:Radioisotopes; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000438:Alcohols; D011868:Radioisotopes; D009532:Nickel