Oxygenation mechanism of ions in dynamic reaction cell ICP-MS.

A dynamic reaction cell (DRC) is one of the most effective tools for eliminating spectral interferences caused by polyatomic molecules in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Oxygen gas (O2), by producing oxygenated ions, is very effective in reducing some specific spectral interferences. In this study, the oxygenation of elemental ions (M(+)) in the DRC was investigated experimentally, and a new explanation for oxygenation based on the enthalpy changes in the oxygenating reactions is proposed. The enthalpy changes of each M(+) were calculated and the possibility of each reaction occurring was evaluated. The calculations were in good agreement with experimental observations. Theoretical and experimental results supported the hypothesis that the enthalpy changes (ΔH) of M(+)+ O2 → MO(+) + O and M(+) + O → MO(+) and the thermodynamic stability of M(+)-O are key factors controlling oxygenation of M(+) in the DRC.