Fluorine-induced chemiluminescence detection of phosphine, alkyl phosphines and monophosphinate esters

Abstract

Phosphine, alkylated phosphines and monophosphinate esters are detected with high sensitivity in capillary gas chromatography (GC) by their chemiluminescent reactions with molecular fluorine. Detection limits are estimated to be 1.3 pg, 0.5 pg, 8 pg, and 17 pg for phosphine, trimethyl phosphine, trimethyl phosphinate ester, and triethyl phosphine, respectively. As found earlier with alkylated sulfur, selenium and tellurium compounds, the detector exhibits a linear response. For triethyl phosphine, a linear range of greater than three orders of magnitude was demonstrated. Emission spectra were obtained for the trimethyl phosphine and triethyl phosphine systems. Chemiluminescence emitters include electronically excited HCF, vibrationally excited HF, and an unknown species in the trimethyl phosphine system. Banded emission from vibrationally excited HF and a broad continuum were observed for both trimethyl phosphine and triethyl phosphine; however, HCF emission was observed only for TMP. Under the conditions employed, the principal emitter is HCF for trimethyl phosphine and HF and the unknown emitter for triethyl phosphine. This detector may have important applications in investigations of the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus.