Solvent extraction, ion chromatography, and mass spectrometry of molybdenum isotopes

Accurate Determination of the Absolute Isotopic Composition and Atomic Weight of Molybdenum by Multiple Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry with a Fully Calibrated Strategy

A fully calibrated strategy has been investigated for the first time for the accurate determination of absolute isotopic composition and atomic weight of molybdenum using multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The correction for instrumental mass bias was performed using synthetic isotope mixtures, which were gravimetrically prepared with all of the seven high-purity and isotopically enriched molybdenum isotope materials together. Six natural molybdenum materials, including molybdenum standard solution NIST SRM 3134, were accurately measured and yielded the absolute isotopic composition (in atom %, k = 1) of ⁹²Mo-14.690(18), ⁹⁴Mo-9.173(6), ⁹⁵Mo-15.865(5), ⁹⁶Mo-16.666(3), ⁹⁷Mo-9.588(4), ⁹⁸Mo-24.307(16), and ¹⁰⁰Mo-9.711(13). These isotopic data enable an atomic weight A_r(Mo) of 95.9466(34) (k = 2) to be calculated, which is slightly lower than the current standard atomic weight 95.95(1) and with a much improved uncertainty. The associated uncertainties were evaluated according to the Guide to Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement of ISO/BIPM and Monte Carlo simulation to ensure that all sources of uncertainty were fully accounted for. A particular characteristic of the proposed new approach is that mass bias correction factor K for each isotope ratio of molybdenum can be achieved via fully experimental determination without using the traditional semiempirical correction mathematical models. In addition, the relationship between mass of isotope and bias per mass unit β was investigated based on the thorough measurement data.

High-precision molybdenum isotope analysis by negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry

Procedures for the separation, purification, and high-precision analysis of mass-independent isotopic variations in molybdenum (Mo) using negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry are reported. Separation and purification of Mo from silicate and metal matrices are achieved using a two-stage anion exchange chromatographic procedure. Molybdenum is ionized as the MoO₃ ^- species using a double filament assembly. The MoO₃ ^- ion beams are collected using Faraday cup detectors equipped with a mixed array of amplifiers utilizing 10¹¹ and 10¹² Ω resistors, which allows for in situ measurement and correction of oxygen isobars. The long-term external reproducibility of ⁹⁷Mo/⁹⁶Mo, the most precisely measured Mo isotope ratio, is ±5.4 ppm (2SD), based on the repeated analyses of the Alfa Aesar Specpure ^® Mo plasma standard and using ⁹⁸Mo/⁹⁶Mo for fractionation correction. The long-term external reproducibilities of 92Mo/⁹⁶Mo, ⁹⁴Mo/⁹⁶Mo, ⁹⁵Mo/⁹⁶Mo, and ¹⁰⁰Mo/⁹⁶Mo are ±107, 37, 23, and 32 ppm (2SD), respectively. With this precision, smaller differences in Mo isotopic compositions can be resolved than have been previously possible.

Chemical separation of Mo and W from terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples via anion exchange chromatography

A new two-stage chemical separation method was established using an anion exchange resin, Eichrom 1 × 8, to separate Mo and W from four natural rock samples. First, the distribution coefficients of nine elements (Ti, Fe, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, and W) under various chemical conditions were determined using HCl, HNO3, and HF. On the basis of the obtained distribution coefficients, a new technique for the two-stage chemical separation of Mo and W, along with the group separation of Ti-Zr-Hf, was developed as follows: 0.4 M HCl-0.5 M HF (major elements), 9 M HCl-0.05 M HF (Ti-Zr-Hf), 9 M HCl-1 M HF (W), and 6 M HNO3-3 M HF (Mo). After the chemical procedure, Nb remaining in the W fraction was separated using 9 M HCl-3 M HF. On the other hand, Nb and Zn remaining in the Mo fraction were removed using 2 M HF and 6 M HCl-0.1 M HF. The performance of this technique was evaluated by separating these elements from two terrestrial and two extraterrestrial samples. The recovery yields for Mo, W, Zr, and Hf were nearly 100% for all of the examined samples. The total contents of the Zr, Hf, W, and Mo in the blanks used for the chemical separation procedure were 582, 9, 29, and 396 pg, respectively. Therefore, our new separation technique can be widely used in various fields of geochemistry, cosmochemistry, and environmental sciences and particularly for multi-isotope analysis of these elements from a single sample with significant internal isotope heterogeneities.

Chromatographic separation and multicollection-ICPMS analysis of iron. Investigating mass-dependent and -independent isotope effects

A procedure was developed that allows precise determination of Fe isotopic composition. Purification of Fe was achieved by ion chromatography on AG1-X8 strongly basic anion-exchange resin. No isotopic fractionation is associated with column chemistry within 0.02 per thousand /amu at 2sigma. The isotopic composition was measured with a Micromass IsoProbe multicollection inductively coupled plasma hexapole mass spectrometer. The Fe isotopic composition of the Orgueil CI1 carbonaceous chondrite, which best approximates the solar composition, is indistinguishable from that of IRMM-014 (-0.005 +/- 0.017 per thousand /amu). The IRMM-014 reference material is therefore used for normalization of the isotopic ratios. The protocol for analyzing mass-dependent variations is validated by measuring geostandards (IF-G, DTS-2, BCR-2, AGV-2) and heavily fractionated Fe left after vacuum evaporation of molten wüstite (FeO) and solar (MgO-Al(2)O(3)-SiO(2)-CaO-FeO in chondritic proportions) compositions. It is shown that the isotopic composition of Fe during evaporation of FeO follows a Rayleigh distillation with a fractionation factor alpha equal to (m(1)/m(2)()1/2), where m(1) and m(2) are the masses of the considered isotopes. This agrees with earlier measurements and theoretical expectations. The isotopic composition of Fe left after vacuum evaporation of solar composition also follows a Rayleigh distillation but with a fractionation factor (1.013 22 +/- 0.000 67 for the (56)Fe/(54)Fe ratio) that is lower than the square root of the masses (1.018 35). The protocol for analyzing mass-independent variations is validated by measuring terrestrial rocks that are not expected to show departure from mass-dependent fractionation. After internal normalization of the (57)Fe/(54)Fe ratio, the isotopic composition of Fe can be measured accurately with precisions of 0.2epsilon and 0.5epsilon at 2sigma for (56)Fe/(54)Fe and (58)Fe/(54)Fe ratios, respectively (epsilon refers to relative variations in parts per 10 000). For (58)Fe, this precision is an order of magnitude better than what had been achieved before. The method is applied to rocks that could potentially exhibit mass-independent effects, meteorites and Archaean terrestrial samples. The isotopic composition of a 3.8-Ga-old banded iron formation from Isua (IF-G, Greenland), and quartz-pyroxene rocks from Akilia and Innersuartuut (GR91-26 and SM/GR/171770, Greenland) are normal within uncertainties. Similarly, the Orgueil (CI1), Allende (CV3.2), Eagle Station (ESPAL), Brenham (MGPAL), and Old Woman (IIAB) meteorites do not show any mass-independent effect.

Characterization and application of sodium di(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate and sodium di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate surfactants as pseudostationary phases in micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Sodium di(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (DOSS) and sodium di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (NaDEHP) surfactants, with double alkyl chains and negatively charged headgroups, were characterized using fluorescence quenching, densitometry, and tensiometry techniques to determine their aggregation number, partial specific volume, and critical aggregation concentration. These two surfactants were then applied as pseudostationary phases in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) for separations of alkyl phenyl ketones. The aggregation number of NaDEHP was found to be more than two-fold higher than that of DOSS. The partial specific volumes of NaDEHP and DOSS were found to be 0.9003 and 0.8371 mL/g, respectively. The critical aggregation concentrations are 5.12 and 1.80 mM for NaDEHP and DOSS, respectively. The DOSS surfactant provided a wider separation window and had a greater hydrophobic environment than the NaDEHP surfactant under the MEKC experimental conditions studied.