Determination of acetone, 2-butanone, diethyl ketone and BTX using HSCC-UV-IMS

Quantitation of Flavor Compounds in Refill Solutions for Electronic Cigarettes Using HS-GCxIMS and Internal Standards

New regulations on the use of flavor compounds in tobaccoless electronic cigarettes require comprehensive analyses. Gas chromatography coupled ion mobility spectrometry is on the rise as an analytical technique for analyzing volatile organic compounds as it combines sensitivity, selectivity, and easy usage with a full-range screening. A current challenge is the quantitative GCxIMS-analysis. Non-linear calibration methods are predominantly used. This work presents a new calibration method using linearization and its corresponding fit based on the relation between the reactant and analyte ions from the chemical ionization. The analysis of e-liquids is used to compare the presented calibration with an established method based on a non-linear Boltzmann fit. Since e-liquids contain matrix compounds that have been shown to influence the analyte signals, the use of internal standards is introduced to reduce these effects in GCxIMS-analysis directly. Different matrix mixtures were evaluated in the matrix-matched calibration to improve the quantitation further. The system's detection and quantitation limits were determined using a separate linear calibration. A matrix-matched calibration series of 29 volatile compounds with 12 levels were used to determine the concentration of these substances in a spiked, flavorless e-liquid and a banana-flavored e-liquid, validating the quality of the different calibrations.

Gas Chromatography - Ion Mobility Spectrometry as a tool for quick detection of hazardous volatile organic compounds in indoor and ambient air: A university campus case study

Society's concerns about the citizens' exposure to possibly dangerous environments have recently risen; nevertheless, the assessment of indoor air quality still represents a major contemporary challenge. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are among the main factors responsible for deteriorating air quality conditions. These analytes are very common in daily-use environments and they can be extremely hazardous to human health, even at trace concentrations levels. For these reasons, their quick detection, identification, and quantification are crucial tasks, especially for indoor and heavily-populated scenarios, where the exposure time is usually quite long. In this work, a Gas Chromatography - Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC-IMS) device was used for continuous monitoring indoor and ambient air environments at a large-scale, due to its outstanding levels of sensibility, selectivity, analytical flexibility, and almost real-time monitoring capability. A total of 496 spectra were collected from 15 locations of a university campus and posteriorly analysed. Overall, 23 compounds were identified among the 31 detected. Some of them, like Ethanol and 2-Propanol, were reported as being very hazardous to the human organism, especially in indoor environments. The achieved results confirmed the suitability of GC-IMS technology for air quality assessment and monitoring of VOCs and, more importantly, proved how dangerous indoor environments can be in scenarios of continuous exposure.

Colorimetric acetone sensor based on ionic liquid functionalized drug-mediated silver nanostructures

The current work reports the drug-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their functionalization with ionic liquid (IL) for acetone determination. The rationale behind the selection of the Augmentin drug was the aromaticity in its structure and the functional groups attached. These properties are not only supposed to work in the synthesis of the nanoparticles but also enhance their electron density. The nanoparticles were further coated with 1-H-3-methylimidazolium acetate IL, having conductivity and aromaticity in their structure. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized by different techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, and EDX. Colorimetric determination of acetone was done by using IL capped AgNPs with the assistance of NaCl solution and results were analyzed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Low-cost, stable eosin dye works as a substrate and is consumed resulting in a color change from brown to transparent. The IL capped AgNPs act as a reducing agent for the production of reduced radical form of acetone which act on the carboxylate moiety and bubble it out in the form of CO₂. Different parameters such as (concentrations, loading of nanoparticles, time and pH, etc.) were optimized to get the best results of the proposed sensor. The sensor shows a wide linear range of (1 ×10^-8-2.40 ×10^-6 M), low limit of detection 2.66 × 10^-9 M, and limit of quantification 8.86 × 10^-9 M with an R² value of 0.997. The proposed sensor has been successfully applied to diabetic patient's urine samples for acetone detection with a visible colorimetric change. It showed good sensitivity and selectivity towards acetone detection.

Toward Healthcare Diagnoses by Machine-Learning-Enabled Volatile Organic Compound Identification

As a natural monitor of health conditions for human beings, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) act as significant biomarkers for healthcare monitoring and early stage diagnosis of diseases. Most existing VOC sensors use semiconductors, optics, and electrochemistry, which are only capable of measuring the total concentration of VOCs with slow response, resulting in the lack of selectivity and low efficiency for VOC detection. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy technology provides an effective solution to detect chemical structures of VOC molecules by absorption fingerprints induced by the signature vibration of chemical stretches. However, traditional IR spectroscopy for VOC detection is limited by the weak light-matter interaction, resulting in large optical paths. Leveraging the ultrahigh electric field induced by plasma, the vibration of the molecules is enhanced to improve the light-matter interaction. Herein, we report a plasma-enhanced IR absorption spectroscopy with advantages of fast response, accurate quantization, and good selectivity. An order of ∼kV voltage was achieved from the multiswitched manipulation of the triboelectric nanogenerator by repeated sliding. The VOC species and their concentrations were well-quantified from the wavelength and intensity of spectra signals with the enhancement from plasma. Furthermore, machine learning has visualized the relationship of different VOCs in the mixture, which demonstrated the feasibility of the VOC identification to mimic patients.

Determination of volatile compounds by GC-IMS to assign the quality of virgin olive oil

The characterisation of different olive oil categories (extra virgin, virgin and lampante) using Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) was improved by replacing the multicapillary column (MCC) with a capillary column (CC). The data obtained with MCC-IMS and CC-IMS were evaluated, studying both the global and the specific information obtained after the analysis of the volatile fraction of olive oils. A better differentiation of the oil categories was obtained employing CC vs MCC, since the classification percentage obtained with the CC-IMS was 92% as opposed to 87% obtained with MCC-IMS; although in productivity analytical terms, MCC offer a faster analysis than GC. The specific information obtained was also used to build a database, with a view to facilitating the characterization of specific attributes of olive oils. A total of 26 volatile metabolites (aldehydes, ketones, alcohols and esters) were identified. Finally, as revealed by an ANOVA test, some volatiles differed markedly in content among the different categories of oil. The data obtained confirms the potential of IMS as a reliable analytical screening technique, which can be used to assign the correct category to an olive oil sample.

The human volatilome: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath, skin emanations, urine, feces and saliva

Breath analysis is a young field of research with its roots in antiquity. Antoine Lavoisier discovered carbon dioxide in exhaled breath during the period 1777-1783, Wilhelm (Vilém) Petters discovered acetone in breath in 1857 and Johannes Müller reported the first quantitative measurements of acetone in 1898. A recent review reported 1765 volatile compounds appearing in exhaled breath, skin emanations, urine, saliva, human breast milk, blood and feces. For a large number of compounds, real-time analysis of exhaled breath or skin emanations has been performed, e.g., during exertion of effort on a stationary bicycle or during sleep. Volatile compounds in exhaled breath, which record historical exposure, are called the 'exposome'. Changes in biogenic volatile organic compound concentrations can be used to mirror metabolic or (patho)physiological processes in the whole body or blood concentrations of drugs (e.g. propofol) in clinical settings-even during artificial ventilation or during surgery. Also compounds released by bacterial strains like Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Streptococcus pneumonia could be very interesting. Methyl methacrylate (CAS 80-62-6), for example, was observed in the headspace of Streptococcus pneumonia in concentrations up to 1420 ppb. Fecal volatiles have been implicated in differentiating certain infectious bowel diseases such as Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Cholera. They have also been used to differentiate other non-infectious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, alterations in urine volatiles have been used to detect urinary tract infections, bladder, prostate and other cancers. Peroxidation of lipids and other biomolecules by reactive oxygen species produce volatile compounds like ethane and 1-pentane. Noninvasive detection and therapeutic monitoring of oxidative stress would be highly desirable in autoimmunological, neurological, inflammatory diseases and cancer, but also during surgery and in intensive care units. The investigation of cell cultures opens up new possibilities for elucidation of the biochemical background of volatile compounds. In future studies, combined investigations of a particular compound with regard to human matrices such as breath, urine, saliva and cell culture investigations will lead to novel scientific progress in the field.

Application of ion mobility spectrometry for the detection of human urine

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the suitability of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) for the detection of human urine as an indication of human presence during urban search and rescue operations in collapsed buildings. To this end, IMS with a radioactive ionization source and a multicapillary column was used to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from human urine. A study involving a group of 30 healthy volunteers resulted in the selection of seven volatile species, namely acetone, propanal, 3-methyl-2-butanone, 2-methylpropanal, 4-heptanone, 2-heptanone and octanal, which were detected in all samples. Additionally, a preliminary study on the permeation of urine volatiles through the materials surrounding the voids of collapsed buildings was performed. In this study, quartz sand was used as a representative imitating material. Four compounds, namely 3-methyl-2-butanone, octanal, acetone and 2-heptanone, were found to permeate through the sand layers during all experiments. Moreover, their permeation times were the shortest. Although IMS can be considered as a potential technique suitable for the detection, localization and monitoring of VOCs evolved from human urine, further investigation is necessary prior to selecting field chemical methods for the early location of trapped victims.

Flow-injection determination of acetone with diazotized anthranilic acid through a fluorescent reaction intermediate

Acetone and diazotized anthranilic acid react in alkaline solution, giving a fluorescent intermediate that can be measured at excitation and emission wavelengths of 305 and 395 nm, respectively. Based on this, a fluorimetric flow-injection method is proposed for the determination of acetone in aqueous solution. Under the proposed conditions, acetone can be detected at concentrations higher than 8 x 10(-7)M, with a linear application range from 1 x 10(-6) to 2 x 10(-4)M and an R.S.D. of 2.7% (1.0 x 10(-5)M, n=10). A sampling frequency of 24h(-1) is achieved. Some potentially interfering species are investigated.

Ion mobility spectrometry for food quality and safety

Ion mobility spectrometry is known to be a fast and sensitive technique for the detection of trace substances, and it is increasingly in demand not only for protection against explosives and chemical warfare agents, but also for new applications in medical diagnosis or process control. Generally, a gas phase sample is ionized by help of ultraviolet light, ss-radiation or partial discharges. The ions move in a weak electrical field towards a detector. During their drift they collide with a drift gas flowing in the opposite direction and, therefore, are slowed down depending on their size, shape and charge. As a result, different ions reach the detector at different drift times, which are characteristic for the ions considered. The number of ions reaching the detector are a measure of the concentration of the analyte. The method enables the identification and quantification of analytes with high sensitivity (ng l(-1) range). The selectivity can even be increased - as necessary for the analyses of complex mixtures - using pre-separation techniques such as gas chromatography or multi-capillary columns. No pre-concentration of the sample is necessary. Those characteristics of the method are preserved even in air with up to a 100% relative humidity rate. The suitability of the method for application in the field of food quality and safety - including storage, process and quality control as well as the characterization of food stuffs - was investigated in recent years for a number of representative examples, which are summarized in the following, including new studies as well: (1) the detection of metabolites from bacteria for the identification and control of their growth; (2) process control in food production - beer fermentation being an example; (3) the detection of the metabolites of mould for process control during cheese production, for quality control of raw materials or for the control of storage conditions; (4) the quality control of packaging materials during the production of polymeric materials; and (5) the characterization of products - wine being an example. The challenges of such applications were operation in humid air, fast on-line analyses of complex mixtures, high sensitivity - detection limits have to be, for example, in the range of the odour limits - and, in some cases, the necessity of mobile instrumentation. It can be shown that ion mobility spectrometry is optimally capable of fulfilling those challenges for many applications.

Detection of emissions from surfaces using ion mobility spectrometry

Emissions from surfaces (from furniture, wall paintings or floor coverings for instance) significantly influence indoor air quality and therefore the wellbeing or even the health of the occupants. Together with metabolites from mold they are responsible for the well-known "sick building syndrome". Therefore, it is in the interest of the manufacturer as well as of the occupants to have a fast and accurate method for the detection of substances relevant to this syndrome in order to be able to monitor and control product quality and indoor air quality. The use of small and easy-to-transport ion mobility spectrometers that use UV light as the ionization source enables rapid in situ detection of such substances with high selectivity and sensitivity (detection limits in the lower ppb range). If a multicapillary column is used for preseparation as well, the selectivity is increased and the unwanted influence of humidity on the spectra can be eliminated, thus enabling the use of the instruments under normal ambient conditions. Furthermore, the use of air as carrier gas avoids the need for other sources of high-purity gas. An emission cell with a homogeneous and constant air flow over the surface to be investigated was developed in order to ensure reproducible results. Investigations of emissions from wooden surfaces with and without additional contamination as well as from complex mixtures are presented. The results demonstrate that relevant emissions can be identified and quantified with high sensitivity and selectivity in under five minutes. Therefore, the method is useful for indoor air quality monitoring, especially when miniaturized instruments are applied.

Process analysis using ion mobility spectrometry

Ion mobility spectrometry, originally used to detect chemical warfare agents, explosives and illegal drugs, is now frequently applied in the field of process analytics. The method combines both high sensitivity (detection limits down to the ng to pg per liter and ppb(v)/ppt(v) ranges) and relatively low technical expenditure with a high-speed data acquisition. In this paper, the working principles of IMS are summarized with respect to the advantages and disadvantages of the technique. Different ionization techniques, sample introduction methods and preseparation methods are considered. Proven applications of different types of ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) used at ISAS will be discussed in detail: monitoring of gas insulated substations, contamination in water, odoration of natural gas, human breath composition and metabolites of bacteria. The example applications discussed relate to purity (gas insulated substations), ecology (contamination of water resources), plants and person safety (odoration of natural gas), food quality control (molds and bacteria) and human health (breath analysis).

Detection of human metabolites using multi-capillary columns coupled to ion mobility spectrometers

The human breath contains indicators of human health and delivers information about different metabolism processes of the body. The detection and attribution of these markers provide the possibility for new, non-invasive diagnostic methods. In the recent study, ion mobility spectrometers are used to detect different volatile organic metabolites in human breath directly. By coupling multi-capillary columns using ion mobility spectrometers detection limits down to the ng/L and pg/L range are achieved. The sampling procedure of human breath as well as the detection of different volatiles in human breath are described in detail. Reduced mobilities and detection limits for different analytes occurring in human breath are reported. In addition, spectra of exhaled air using ion mobility spectrometers obtained without any pre-concentration are presented and discussed in detail. Finally, the potential use of IMS with respect to lung infection diseases will be considered.