Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 17(11), 1279 (2001).

Comprehensive-Trace Level Determination of Methyltin Compounds in Aqueous Samples by Cryogenic Purge-and-Trap Gas Chromatography with Flame Photometric Detection
Jiemin LIU, Guibin JIANG,  Qunfang ZHOU, and Ziwei YAO
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, China
A comprehensive method was developed for the sensitive and fast determination of trace levels of methyltin compounds in aqueous samples. Tin compounds in aqueous solution at pH 5 were converted to the corresponding volatile hydrides: CH3SnH3, (CH3)2SnH2, and (CH3)3SnH, by reaction with potassium borohydride. A CP-4010 purge and trap injector (PTI) was used to purge analyte species from water directly. The volatile derivatives were base-line separated on a capillary column in an Angilent-6890 gas chromatograph by a suitable temperature program and were detected by a flame photometric detector (FPD). The detection limits were 18 ng L-1 for monomethyltin, 12 ng L-1 for dimethyltin, and 3 ng L-1 for trimethyltin, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the determination of methyltin compounds in different aqueous samples.