Enhanced sensitivity and selectivity of a gas chromatography–microwave‐induced plasma atomic emission system (GC‐MIP) at the 685.6‐nm fluorine emission line

Abstract

As part of the studies for the characterization of a gas chromatography with microwave-induced plasma atomic emission detection (GC-MIP) prototype, its behavior at the 685.6-nm fluorine emission line was studied with isooctane solutions of n-perfluoroheptane and benzene. This test mixture was chromatographed under varied conditions of the plasma support helium flow rate and microwave input power. A relatively high value of (3.9±0.3)×10was found for the fluorine to carbon selectivity, with detection limits for fluorine as low as 1.3±0.2 pg(F)⋅s−1. These levels for the selectivity and for the detection limit compare favorably with previous reports found in the literature for other GC-MIP systems. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep 11: 23–27, 1999