Organic compounds in the Murchison and Allende carbonaceous chondrites studied by photoionization mass spectrometry

Abstract

Abstract— Organic compounds in the Murchison (C2M) and Allende (CV3) carbonaceous chondrites were analyzed by photoionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry; thermal (25–850 °C) and stimulated (7 keV Ar+) desorption were combined with either nonresonant single‐photon ionization using 118 nm light or resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (selective for aromatic compounds) using 266 nm light. Samples weighing only 1–10 mg were sufficient for sensitive quantitative analysis of aromatic compounds using thermal desorption. The detection limits for phenanthrene and pyrene using 118 nm light were determined to be 0.8 and 1.4 picomoles, respectively, and the concentrations of these compounds (including their isomers anthracene and fluoranthene) in the Murchison meteorite were determined to be 9 and 12 μg/g, respectively, in good agreement with previously published values. Thermal‐desorption (–75–500 °C) field‐ionization mass spectra (activated foil‐type ionizing source and magnetic sector mass analyzer) of 20–40 mg of the same meteorite material were obtained to verify that the 118 nm photoionization mass spectra were not affected by photofragmentation or photodecomposition and were representative of the organic material extracted by thermal desorption. Photoionization mass spectrometry is a useful technique for studying small quantities (< 1 nanomole) of organic matter in terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples. The present study aims to provide the background and analytical methods necessary for application to new and unsolved cosmochemical problems. Some potential applications are discussed.