13C/12C ratio measurements of aromatic molecules using photoionization with TOF mass spectrometry

✍ Scribed by C.R. Maechling; S.J. Clemett; R.N. Zare

• Book ID: 103034113
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 869 KB
• Volume: 241
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2614
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2614(95)00590-z

✦ Synopsis

We demonstrate a method for measuring the carbon isotope ratios of aromatic molecules without the need for chemical preparation. The technique employs a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer equipped with a dual microchannel plate detector assembly. We present the measurement of carbon isotope ratios for m-xylene-d,, (C,D,(CD,),), toluene (C,H,CH,), and toluene-d, (C+CD,).

Gas-phase samples are photoionized with the 266 nm output of a Nd:YAG laser, and the abundance of "C and C in the molecules is derived from the TOF spectra. Complications caused by and corrections for detector nonlinearity and parent ion fragmentation are discussed.