TY - JOUR A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique A1 - Florek, S. A1 - Becker-Ross, H. A1 - Huang, M.-D. A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Radtke, Martin A1 - Lippitz, Andreas A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Schmid, Thomas A1 - Heinrich, Hans-Joachim A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - Zirconium permanent modifiers for graphite furnaces used in absorption spectrometry: understanding their structure and mechanism of action N2 - The mechanism of action of zirconium permanent modifiers on graphite surfaces was investigated in order to understand its influence on the analytical signal in atomic and molecular absorption spectrometry (AAS/MAS). For this, the molecule formation of CaF was studied, which is used for the indirect analytical determination of fluorine in high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS). The kinetics of this reaction was established by monitoring its molecular spectrum at different atomisation temperatures. An Arrhenius plot showed a pseudo-first order reaction with respect to fluorine (n = 1). An intermediate state was isolated, and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods: scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEMEDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS), and Raman microspectroscopy. We propose here a mechanism, where ZrO2 acts as a heterogeneous catalyst: after a pyrolytic step, an intermediate state of ZrO(OCaF) is activated, and at higher temperatures, CaF(g) is released from the zirconium-coated graphite surface. No evidence of the formation of zirconium carbide was found. Consequently, as the CaF formation is catalysed by a heterogeneous catalyst, surface modifications with ZrO2 nanoparticles and ZrO xerogels were investigated in order to increase the surface area. Their influence was evaluated in the molecule formation of CaF, CaCl, CaBr, and CaI. Graphite furnace modification with zirconium oxide nanoparticles proves to be the best choice for fluorine analysis with a signal enhancement of more than eleven times with respect a non-coated graphite furnace. However, the influence of zirconium modifications in the analytical signals of Cl, and I is lower than the F signals or even negative in case of the Br. Understanding zirconium modifiers as heterogeneous catalysts offers a new perspective to AAS and MAS, and reveals the potential of surface analytical methods for development of improved permanent modifiers and graphite furnace coatings. KW - Zirconium KW - HR-CS-MAS KW - Graphite furnace KW - Nanoparticles KW - Xerogel KW - Calcium monofluoride KW - Absorption spectrometry PY - 2018 UR - https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/ja/c8ja00190a U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/C8JA00190A SN - 0267-9477 VL - 33 IS - 12 SP - 2034 EP - 2042 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-46775 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique A1 - Florek, S. A1 - Becker-Ross, H. A1 - Huang, M.-D. A1 - Heinrich, Hans-Joachim A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - Determination of boron isotope ratios by high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry using graphite furnace vaporizers N2 - Boron isotope amount ratios n(10B)/n(11B) have been determined by monitoring the absorption spectrum of boron monohydride (BH) in a graphite furnace using high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-MAS). Bands (0→0) and (1→1) for the electronic transition X1Σ+ → A1Π were evaluated around wavelengths 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm respectively. Clean and free of memory effect molecular spectra of BH were recorded. In order to eliminate the memory effect of boron, a combination of 2% (v/v) hydrogen gas in argon and 1% trifluoromethane in argon, an acid solution of calcium chloride and mannitol as chemical modifiers was used. Partial least square regression (PLS) for analysis of samples and reference materials were applied. For this, a spectral library with different isotopes ratios for PLS regression was built. Results obtained around the 433.1 nm and 437.1 nm spectral regions are metrologically compatible with those reported by mass spectrometric methods. Moreover, for the evaluated region of 437 nm, an accuracy of 0.15‰ is obtained as the average deviation from the isotope reference materials. Expanded uncertainties with a coverage factor of k = 2 range between 0.15 and 0.44‰. This accuracy and precision are compatible with those obtained by mass spectrometry for boron isotope ratio measurements. KW - Boron isotopes KW - Isotope ratios KW - Boron monohydride KW - Molecular absorption KW - High-resolution continuum source absorption spectrometry KW - Graphite furnace KW - Memory effect KW - HR-CS-MAS PY - 2017 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0584854717302537 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2017.08.012 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 136 SP - 116 EP - 122 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam, The Netherlands AN - OPUS4-42071 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -