Certain aspects of the theory and the prospects for the development of ionization chromatographic detection and identification of substances

Abstract

Regularities of detection based on the Penning effect in neon have been examined. Detection in the saturation current mode is shown to be accompanied by anomalous weakening of the Penning effect by substances with relatively high ionization potentials such as hydrogen, argon, nitrogen and sulphur dioxide. It has been established that this phenomenon is observed in high-purity neon when it is contaminated by substances with relatively high ionization potentials such as organic compounds and moisture. The phenomenon observed is explained on the basis of the concept of the essential role of excimeric molecules in the Penning effect and the processes of their quenching as a result of collisions with the molecules of some substances to be detected. The regularities found have been used in new methods for the quantitative interpretation of chromatograms and the identification of inorganic substances. These methods were applied in the chromatographic analysis of the atmosphere of Venus on the Soviet interplanetary stations Venus 11, 12, 13 and 14. Aspects of identifying organic substances, based on the regularities of flame ionization detection, have been examined. It has been shown to be possible to use the dependence of the detection ionization efficiency on the composition and structure of the molecules of organic substances for the identification of classes of compounds and individual substances.