analysis and is widely used by the petroleum industry for both the qualitative and quantitative analysis
of hydrocarbon distillates and other petrochemicals. The electronics and metallurgical industries are
finding increasing use for spark-source mass spectrometry in the detection and determination of
impurity elements at very low levels (ppb) in alloys and semiconductor materials. Mass spectrometers
have proved to be invaluable in the analysis of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial atmospheres, the
latter being accomplished by instruments with lightweight miniaturized components.
9.5—
Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds
The application of individual spectrometric techniques to the identification and structural analysis of
organic compounds has been examined in the preceding sections of this chapter. In most cases the
desired information can be gained much more easily and rapidly by studying infrared, UV and visible,
NMR and mass spectrometric data in conjunction with one another. Firstly, this is because the
information they provide is often complementary in nature and it may not be possible to make a
positive identification or a complete structural analysis from the data provided by one technique alone.
Secondly, unless an analyst specializes in one of these techniques, only the salient features of a
spectrum are readily interpreted and it is thus more profitable to assemble such information from all
four techniques before attempting a more detailed study of any one spectrum. The exercise is somewhat
analogous to piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. To gain experience in this approach, a number of sets of
spectra of varying complexity is presented on the following pages.
References
- Woodward, R. B., J. American Chemical Society, 63 , 1123, 1941: 64 , 72, 1942.
- Ringbom, A., Z. Anal. Chem., 115 , 332, 1939.
- Beynon, J. H. & Williams, A. E. Mass and Abundance Tables for Use in Mass Spectrometry,
Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1963.
Further Reading
Boltz, D. F. & Howell, J. A. Colorimetric Determination of Non-Metals (2nd edn), Wiley, New York
Davis, R. & Frearson, M., Mass Spectrometry, Wiley, Chichester, 1987.
Denny, R. C. & Sinclair, R., Visible and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Wiley, Chichester, 1987.
George, W. O. & Mcintyre, P., Infrared Spectroscopy, Wiley, Chichester, 1987.
Pavia, D. L., Lampman, G. M. & Kriz, G. S. Jr, Introduction to Spectroscopy, Saunders, Philadelphia,
1979.
Sandell, E. B. & Onishi, H., Photometric Analysis of Traces of Metals: General Aspects (4th edn),
Wiley, New York, 1978.
Silverstein, R. M., Bassler, G. C. & Morrill, T. C., Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds
(4th edn), Wiley, New York, 1981.