Novel Methods For The Analysis Of Organometallic compounds For The Natural Environment

The biogeochemical cycling of numerous metals in the environment has been shown to include inorganic and organometallic forms of the metal. Metals are ubiquitous in the environment and are often used by man in tonnage quantities. Organometallic compounds have found a multiplicity of uses in both industrial and non industrial applications. Specific applic.,ations of organometallics include, polymer stabilisation, biocidal uses, agricultural uses, catal1tic applications and as additives in petrol. The use of organometallic compounds as biocides results in considerable anthropogenic input of organometallics into the environment. Organometallic compounds are generally more toxic than their inorganic precursors, with several reported incidents of severe organometallic poisoning being reported. The toxicity of organometallic compounds is dependant upon the number and nature of organic substituent groups in the organometallic molecule. Speciation of organometallic compounds within environmental matrices therefore continues to be of great importance. There is a need for rapid and practical methods of analysis for organometallic compounds from environmental samples, utilising element specific detectors are required. An apparatus capable of element specific species selective detection of organometallic compounds was designed and built during this study. This apparatus was optimised for the detection of organomercury and organotin compounds utilising a single variable factor approach. Methods of analysis were developed for organomercury compounds in doped sediments and doped samples of fish muscle. This utilised element specific detection which is subject to less interferences than traditional methods. The study contains the first documented use of the reagent sodium triethylboron hydride as a derivatisation agent. This reagent was shown to ethylate inorganic and organometallic compounds of mercury. During this study a novel compound was synthesised. This was characterised using GC-AA, GC-MS and NMR as methyl mercury hydride. . Analogous compounds of ethylmercury hydride, ethylmercury deuteride, phenylmercury hydride and phenylmercury deuteride were also characterised by GC-MS and NMR.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

1993

Author dc:creator

• Mennie, Darren

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/fd5eb06a-4d33-4b0a-a568-affe1289f901/download