Abstract
This article deals with optimization of conditions of photochemical vapor generation of molybdenum. The volatile species of molybdenum were generated in the flow arrangement, when sample was injected to a stream of a reaction medium.
Efficient generation was accomplished using a 19W high-efficiency flow-through photoreactor using formic acid as the reaction medium. The generated volatile product (most probably molybdenum hexacarbonyl) was introduced to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer for sensitive detection.
Irradiation time, formic acid concentration and effect of additives were carefully studied with the aim to reach the highest generation efficiency. Interferences from inorganic anions (NO3-, Cl-, SO42-, NO2-, and ClO4-) were also in detail investigated.
The limit of detection achieved at optimal conditions was 1.2 pg mL(-1).