Direct Detection of Solid Inorganic Mercury Salts at Ambient Pressure by Electron-Capture and Reaction-Assisted HePI Mass Spectrometry

作者：Weerasinghe Sathis S; Pavlov Julius; Zhang Yong; Attygalle Athula B^*

来源：Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 2014, 25(1): 149-153.

DOI：10.1007/s13361-013-0746-2

• Mercury compounds
• Helium plasma
• HePI MS
• Chloride source
• Electron capture
• Distortional isomerism
• Flexomer

Solid HgCl2 is readily detected at ambient conditions by electron capture in a HePI-MS source. The captured electron occupies the empty 6 s orbital of the Hg atom. The resulting radical-anion HgCl2 (-aEuro cent) can exist as three "flexomers" of different Cl-Hg-Cl angle. The facile in-source formation of HgCl2 (-aEuro cent) and the adduct [HgCl3](--) is exploited to detect other solid Hg compounds by exposing them to an external chloride source, such as HCl, NaCl, or vapors emanating from solid TiCl3. In situ oxidation of Hg2Cl2 with H2O2 generated signals for HgCl2 (-aEuro cent) and [HgCl3] (-), suggesting that oxidation makes Hg 6 s orbital available for electron capture.

• 出版日期2014-1