CHARACTERIZATION OF MULTICAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MICROWAVE-INDUCED PLASMA-ATOMIC EMISSION-SPECTROMETRY FOR THE EXPEDITIOUS ANALYSIS FOR ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS

Multicapillary column gas chromatography (MC-GC)-microwave-induced pla sma atomic emission spectrometry (MIP-AES) is evaluated for fast speci ation analysis of organometallic compounds. In situ derivatized organo mercury, organotin and organolead compounds are separated isothermally within several seconds instead of several minutes required by the con ventional procedures. Neither the resolution nor the sample capacity a re sacrificed compared with conventional capillary GC with oven temper ature gradient programming. Sub-picogram detection limits are obtained . Examples of applications of MC-GC-MIP-AES to speciation of butyltin and organomercury compounds in sediment, and of tetraalkyllead compoun ds in gasoline are given. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.