Penning ionization electron spectroscopy in glow discharge: another dimension for gas chromatography detectors.

Admixtures to helium of 100 and 5 ppm of nitrogen, and 100 and 10 ppm of carbon monoxide were identified and measured in the helium discharge afterglow using an electrical probe placed into the plasma. For nitrogen and carbon monoxide gases, the measured electron energy spectra display distinct characteristic peaks (fingerprints). Location of the peaks on the energy scale is determined by the ionization energies of the analyte molecules. Nitrogen and carbon monoxide fingerprints were also observed in a binary mixture of these gases in helium, and the relative concentration of analytes has been predicted. The technically simple and durable method is considered a good candidate for a number of analytical applications, and in particular, in GC and for analytical flight instrumentation.