Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry technology for analysis of naphthenic acids fraction compounds in oil sands process water Article uri icon

abstract

  • The application of capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MS) to naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFC) samples represents a new foraging into the world of oil sands process water (OSPW) analysis. Due to the flexibility of solvent and electrolytes used in capillary electrophoresis separations, and equipped with CE's high separation efficiency, NA samples are characterized to obtain unprecedented qualitative and quantitative information. Three CE-ESI-MS methods which our group has applied to unknown environmental NAFC samples, along with preliminary results, will be discussed, and these include: separation of underivatized NAFC with negative ion mode MS, and the use of pH gradients and additives in the separation of NAFC derived from OSPW. The versatility of CE-MS lends itself well to the analysis of complex samples. CE-MS provides another important tool in the suite of separation and characterization techniques applied to the analysis of NAFC.
    Abstract: EN4 212