Performance of a silicon-doped hydrogen atmosphere flame ionization detector for gas chromatography

Abstract

The response of an earlier described detector [ J. Chromatogr., 74 (1972) 319] for certain organometallics has been shown to depend on the presence of volatile silicon compounds in its hydrogen atmosphere. Trace levels of silane were therefore introduced continuously and the response for selected test compounds measured. The detector responded well to compounds of Al, Fe, Sn, Cr and Pb; showing approximately three decades of linear range and the capability for temperature programming. The best responding compound, aluminum hexafluoroacetylacetonate, could be detected in as small an amount as 6 × 10 −13 g. Since the minimum detectable amount of a typical hydrocarbon standard, tetradecane, is only 4 × 10 −7 g, and oxygen or nitrogen containing compounds have so far responded similarly, it is possible to use this detector for determining certain trace metalorganics contained in complex organic matrices.