This article discusses the speciation of organic compounds using a newly developed experimental GC-ICP-MS interface. It focuses on the characteristics and applications of organotin compounds.
The document details a newly developed, experimental interface that couples Capillary Gas Chromatography (GC) with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). This setup is designed to separate and quantify specific organotin species, such as monobutyltin (MBT), tributyltin (TBT), and triphenyltin (TPhT), which are persistent environmental pollutants. The interface connects the end of a GC column directly to the ICP torch using a heated transfer line to prevent condensation.
The note presents initial evaluation results using an Agilent model 5890 GC and an Agilent 4500 ICP-MS. It includes detailed acquisition conditions for both instruments, sample preparation protocols for oyster tissue and sediment, and chromatograms demonstrating the detection limits and separation capabilities of the system for various organotin standards and real-world samples.
| GC Injection mode | Splitless |
|---|---|
| GC Inlet temp | 290° C |
| GC Column type | Non-polar capillary —HP-1 (30m,0.32mm, 0.25um) |
| GC Carrier gas | He-1.0mL/min |
| Interface temperature | 250°C |
| ICP-MS RF power | 1300W |
| ICP-MS Sampling depth | 8mm |
The study separated and quantified monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT), tributyltin (TBT), monophenyltin (MPhT), diphenyltin (DPhT), and triphenyltin (TPhT).
Ethylation using sodium tetraethylborate (NaBEt4) in aqueous conditions was chosen as the derivatization method.
The GC used was a model 5890, and the ICP-MS was a 4500, both from Agilent Technologies.