U.S.-Germany Cooperative Research: Speciation of Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl by High Performance-Diode Laser Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

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9902679ButcherThis award supports David Butcher of Western Carolina University in a collaboration with Kay Niemax and Michael Bolshov of the Institute of Spectrochemistry and Applied Spectroscopy at the University of Dortmund, Germany. The research cooperative project will couple high-performance liquid chromatography with diode laser atomic absorption spectrometry to analyze the compounds in the combustion products of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). Controversy has developed recently regarding the potential toxicity of the fuel additive, which has been marketed in the United States for unleaded gasoline since 1995. Health risks associated with MMT remain unknown because of insufficient knowledge of its combustion products. The new combination of analytical techniques should be able to replace the complicated and expensive instrumentation requirements of present analytical methods. The diode laser atomic absorption technique was developed at the University of Dortmund where the PI will spend two-and-a-half weeks to evaluate the sensitivity of the method. Given positive results of that effort, collaboration will continue in order to obtain fundamental information regarding the combustion and toxicity of MMT.