Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aza-arenes by laser-induced matrix-isolation site-selection fluorescence spectrometry

Laser-induced site-selection fluorescence spectrometry is used to obtain line-narrowed spectra, linear dynamic ranges, limits of detection and fluorescence lifetimes for several aza-arene isomers. The fluorescence lines from the aza-arenes were resolved and used to quantify these compounds in two mixtures, a four component mixture of aza-arenes and a thirteen component mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In cases for which site-selection fluorometry does not provide sufficient resolution, a Shpol'skii solvent is used.

A standard reference material, NBS SRM 1647, is also examined using laser-induced site-selection fluorescence spectrometry. Benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[g,h,i]perlyene, anthracene and benz[a]anthracene are identified and quantified. The results from the quantification of these compounds are in excellent agreement with the certified values. In this series of experiments, a selectivity advantage of site-selection fluorometry is also demonstrated and discussed as a trade off with Shpol'skii fluorometry.