Gas chromatography of chloride and bromide as phenylboronic acid/mercuric nitrate derivatives with microwave induced plasma atomic emission detection

Abstract

Capillary column gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection (FID) or microwave induced plasma atomic emission detection (MIP-AED) were examined for the determination of chloride, using phenylboronic acid as derivatizing reagent. Phenylboronic acid and mercuric nitrate were used in a 1:1 molar ratio to produce phenylmercuric chloride (PMC). The limit of detection for chloride as PMC using FID was 3.3·10 −10 g and using AED, measuring the mercury response at 185 nm, it was 6.25·10 −11 g. Under the conditions used, chloride and bromide (as PMC and PMB) failed to separate adequately, but they could be determined by GC-AED using the wavelenghts 478 nm and 479 nm for bromide and chloride, respectively. The specific detection limits for bromide and chloride obtained from bromine and chlorine responses were 2.9·10 −9 g and 1.8·10 −9 g per injection.