Analytical Instrumentation
New Paper in Analytical Chemistry: Select TOF Spectrometer Unravels the Composition of Complex Motor Oils
Apr 11 2016
Researchers at Birmingham University have used Markes’ (UK) BenchTOF-Select time-of-flight mass spectrometer in combination with two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) to improve the separation and identification of hydrocarbons in motor oil.
The paper, entitled ‘Using variable ionisation energy time-of-flight mass spectrometry with comprehensive GC×GC to identify isomeric species’, shows how spectra acquired at 14 eV on BenchTOF-Select can be used to positively identify isomers from the previously unresolved complex mixture (UCM) in these samples.
The paper is the first literature citation of Markes’ new Select-eV technology, which uses revolutionary ion-source technology to generate ‘soft’ electron ionisation spectra without the inconvenience of other approaches to soft ionisation.
The study, reported in the prestigious ACS journal Analytical Chemistry, was conducted under the FASTER program, which aims to monitor atmospheric pollution and establish the link to exhaust emissions.
Dr Mohammed Salim Alam, one of the principal researchers on this project, says Select-eV has “not only allowed us to observe the molecular ions of species, but has also led us to identify the positioning of branching of straight-chain aliphatic isomeric compounds due to their individual unique fragmentation patterns”.
The authors conclude that “the combination of retention times in two dimensions and mass spectra at low and high ionisation energies confers unparalleled power to identify specific isomers within the chromatograms”.
Digital Edition
PIN 24.4 August 2023
August 2023
In This Edition Articles - Climate-Friendly Flaring Vent Gas Analysis To Ensure Complete Combustion - Some Recent Advancements in Wind Energy Technologies - For the latest developments in a...
View all digital editions
Events
Oct 02 2023 Abu Dhabi, UAE
SPE/IADC Managed Pressure Drilling & Underbalanced Operations Conference & Exhibition
Oct 03 2023 Denver, CO, USA
Oct 04 2023 Rotterdam, Netherlands
Oct 08 2023 Accra,Ghana
Libya Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy Exhibition
Oct 09 2023 Benghazi, Libya