title: Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation hyphenated to Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry for the determination of (functionalised) aqueous fullerene aggregates.
abstract: In this short communication we report on the technical implementations of coupling an asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) instrument to a high resolution mass spectrometer (Orbitrap) using an atmospheric photoionisation interface. This will allow for the first time online identification of different fullerenes in aqueous samples after their aggregates have been fractionated in the FFF channel. Quality parameters such as limits of detection (LODs), limits of quantification (LOQs) or linear range were evaluated and they were in the range of hundreds ng/L for LODs and LOQs and the detector response was linear in the range tested (up to ∼20 μg/L). The low detection and quantification limits make this technique useful for future environmental or ecotoxicology studies in which low concentration levels are expected for fullerenes and common on-line detectors such as UV or MALS do not have enough sensitivity and selectivity.
authors.affiliation: KWR Watercycle Research Institute, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sescelades Campus, Marcel·lí Domingo s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.affiliation: KWR Watercycle Research Institute, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Patrick.bauerlein@kwrwater.nl.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Bäuerlein
authors.affiliation: KWR Watercycle Research Institute, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Emke
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sescelades Campus, Marcel·lí Domingo s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pocurull
authors.affiliation: KWR Watercycle Research Institute, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Voogt
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D031521:Fractionation, Field Flow / Q000379:methods; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000032:analysis*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D037741:Fullerenes; D012996:Solutions
keywords: APPI; Field-flow fractionation; Fullerenes; Hyphenation; Nanoparticles; Orbitrap