Characterization and Optimization of Atomic Spectrometric Processes and Techniques

该项目属于分析和表面化学的一般领域，以及原子光谱学的子领域。这项实验活动的目的是提高原子光谱分析的灵敏度、精密度、准确度和实用程度。为此，正在推进三个突破口。首先，Heeftje教授在美国国家科学基金会CHE-8320053资助下开发的技术正被用于阐明用于多元素分析的火焰和等离子体中溶质粒子蒸发和原子形成的机制。对这些事件的澄清可望减少不完全蒸发造成的元素间干扰。在第二个推力中，人们正在研究稀有气体等离子体，试图确定它们是如何激发引入其中的原子和离子的。特别强调了解这种放电中电子的特性，以及电子在将等离子体能量传递给被分析原子和离子方面所起的作用。最后，旨在更好地了解等离子源质谱中干扰是如何产生的基础调查正在进行中。总的来说，这些研究应该会改进原子光谱分析方法，并更好地理解发生在稀有气体等离子体中的基本过程。反过来，这将使电感耦合等离子体作为化学仪器中的源元素得到更广泛、更有效的使用。

This project is in the general area of analytical and surface chemistry and in the subfield of atomic spectroscopy. The goal of this experimental activity is the enhancement of the sensitivity, precision, accuracy, and degree of utility of atomic spectrometric analysis. To this end, three thrusts are being pursued. First, techniques that were developed by Professor Hieftje under NSF grant CHE-8320053 are being employed to elucidate the mechanism of solute particle vaporization and atom formation in flames and plasmas of the type used for multielement analysis. Clarification of these events can be expected to reduce interelement interferences caused by incomplete vaporization. In a second thrust, rare-gas plasmas are being studied in an effort to determine how they are responsible for excitation of atoms and ions introduced into them. Particular emphasis is being placed upon understanding the characteristics of electrons in such discharges and the role that the electrons play in transferring plasma energy to analyte atoms and ions. Finally, fundamental investigations that are aimed at a better understanding of how interferences arise in plasma-source mass spectrometry are being pursued. In aggregate, these studies should give rise to improved atomic spectroscopic methods of analysis and a better understanding of fundamental processes that take place in rare-gas plasmas. This, in turn, should enable the broader, more efficient use of the inductively coupled plasma as a source element in chemical instrumentation.