Non-radioactive electron capture detector based on soft X-ray ionization for gas chromatography - A possible replacement for radioactive detectors.

In this paper, we present a new electron capture detector based on a compact X-ray tube (X-ECD) for electron generation by soft X-ray radiation instead of using a radioactive source. ECDs are commonly used in many laboratories as standard GC detectors since their invention in the 1950s, especially for highly sensitive detection of halogenated substances, pesticides or other environmental pollutants. However, due to unsatisfactory alternatives, many ECDs are still used with radioactive β-emitters, which is difficult and expensive in most applications today due to legal restrictions.

Ultrasensitive Ion Source for Drift Tube Ion Mobility Spectrometers Combining Optimized Sample Gas Flow with Both Chemical Ionization and Direct Ionization.

Efficient ionization of analyte molecules is a crucial step for the outstanding sensitivity of ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) used for trace gas detection. Here, we present a new ion source that combines the previously published extended field switching ion shutter with two switchable ionization sources and an optimized sample gas flow that leads to a focused laminar stream through the reaction region of the ion source. The X-ray ionization source allows for chemical gas phase ionization of analyte molecules, while the UV ionization source allows for direct ionization of analyte molecules.

Improving Ion Mobility Spectrometer Sensitivity through the Extended Field Switching Ion Shutter.

Field switching ion shutters allow generating short ion packets with high ion densities by first ionizing for several milliseconds in a field-free ionization region and then quickly pushing the entire ion population out into the drift region. Thus, they are an excellent choice for compact ion mobility spectrometers with both high resolving power and low limits of detection. Here, we present an improved setup, named the extended field switching ion shutter.