23 October 2013
Oil Spill Characterization by Ultrahigh Resolution ICR Mass Spectrometry
Traditional tools for routine environmental analysis and forensic chemistry of petroleum have relied almost exclusively on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), although many compounds in crude oil (and its transformation products) are not chromatographically separated or amenable to GC-MS due to volatility. We apply ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry to identify compositional changes at the molecular level between native and weathered crude oil samples and reveal enrichment in polar compounds inaccessible by GC-based characterization.
Details
- Research Area: Chemistry, Geochemistry
- Research Initiatives: Energy
- Facility / Program: ICR
- Year: 2013