The use of gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) for compound specific stable isotope analysis is an underutilized technique because of the complexity of the instrumentation and high analytical costs. However stable isotopic data, when coupled with concentration measurements, can provide additional information on a compounds production, transformation, loss, and cycling within the biosphere and atmosphere. A GC-IRMS system was developed to accurately and precisely measure δ13C values for numerous oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) having natural and anthropogenic sources. The OVOCs include methanol, ethanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, 2-pentanone, and 3-pentanone. Guided by the requirements for analysis of trace components in air, the GC-IRMS system was developed with the goals of increasing sensitivity, reducing dead-volume and peak band broadening, optimizing combustion and water removal, and decreasing the split ratio to the IRMS. The technique relied on a two-stage preconcentration system, a low-volume capillary reactor and water trap, and a balanced reference gas delivery system. Measurements were performed on samples collected from two distinct sources (i.e. biogenic and vehicle emissions) and ambient air collected from downtown Miami and Everglades National Park. However, the instrumentation and the method have the capability to analyze a variety of source and ambient samples. The measured isotopic signatures that were obtained from source and ambient samples provide a new isotopic constraint for atmospheric chemists and can serve as a new way to evaluate their models and budgets for many OVOCs. In almost all cases, OVOCs emitted from fuel combustion were enriched in 13C when compared to the natural emissions of plants. This was particularly true for ethanol gas emitted in vehicle exhaust, which was observed to have a uniquely enriched isotopic signature that was attributed to ethanol’s corn origin and use as an alternative fuel or fuel additive. Results from this effort show that ethanol’s unique isotopic signature can be incorporated into air chemistry models for fingerprinting and source apportionment purposes and can be used as a stable isotopic tracer for biofuel inputs to the atmosphere on local to regional scales.

A dual phase gas diffusion-FIA system containing a tubular PTFE-membrane was studied as a mean of producing gas samples for routine 15N/14N isotopic ratio mass spectrometry. The method is based on Rittenberg's reaction; the ammonium sample is injected into a liquid alkaline stream containing hypobromite and the N2 gas produced in the reaction diffuses across a PTFE-membrane into a helium carrier stream which carries it to the detector. Initially here, the use of a tubular microporous PTFE-membrane as a device for the preconcentration of samples in aqueous solutions was investigated. The performance of such a membrane was studied under a variety of operating conditions. A qualitative model of the membrane mechanism was developed based on the diffusion transport of vapour away from the contained liquid surface through the connected pore space. The dispersion undergone by the sample in the GD-FIA system containing this preconcentration unit was also studied and this FIA system was applied as a practical device for the determination and speciation of aluminium in a river water sample. The procedure for generating nitrogen gas involved optimisation of the system parameters including the oxidation reaction step and the production on-line of the chemicals used. The nitrogen gas was generated easily and rapidly, allowing a sample throughput capability of the order of 20 h-1. The system was applied to the determination of total nitrogen content in agricultural sample prepared by the Kjeldahl digestion. The method offered precision and accuracy comparable to those of the standard distillationtitration procedure. Isotope ratios were determined with good precision and means for obtaining accuracy comparable with established techniques were developed. It was also shown that the DPGD-FIA system can be readily adapted to enable different forms of nitrogen e. g. N02-, N03- and NH4+ to be determined.

La nutrition azotée des bactéries et des plantes est actuellement un sujet de grande importance, notamment pour comprendre comment améliorer les voies métaboliques aboutissant à l’assimilation de l’azote et à plus grande échelle, optimiser des apports d’engrais et augmenter le rendement des cultures. Dans ce contexte, la réaction d’amidation catalysée par la glutamine synthétase (GS), qui fixe l’ammonium (NH₄)⁺ en glutamine, est cruciale car elle est à la fois le point d’entrée de l’azote dans les végétaux, et une étape-clef du recyclage de l’azote (en particulier, NH₄⁺ photorespiratoire). Dans cette étude, nous nous sommes intéressés à la cinétique enzymatique et au mécanisme chimique de la GS. Des systèmes analytiques (HPLC, RMN , GC-MS) ont  été optimisés pour permettre la mesure de l’activité enzymatique in vitro et pour réaliser des analyses par spectrométrie de masse à ratio isotopique. Avec ces techniques, nous avons pu regarder précisément les effets isotopiques ¹²C/¹³C, ¹⁴N/¹⁵N et H₂O/D₂O (solvant) lors de la catalyse, en utilisant la GS d’E. coli et d’Arabidopsis thaliana (GS1,2). Nos résultats montrent qu’il n’y a pas d’effet isotopique ¹²C/¹³C, mais qu’il y a un fractionnement ¹⁴N/¹⁵N de »16‰. En outre, il y a un effet inverse du solvant (réaction 1.5 à 2 fois plus rapide dans D₂O).  Cela suggère que la création de la liaison C----N (amidation) est partiellement limitante (engagement catalytique de »14% seulement) et que le réseau de ponts hydrogènes dans le site actif est crucial pour déterminer la vitesse de la réaction. L’apparition d’effets ¹⁴N/¹⁵N inverses dans certaines circonstances et les effets drastiques causés par une substitution du cofacteur métallique (Mg²⁺) suggèrent en outre que l’étape d’amidation peut être réversible et que la coordination par un métal joue un rôle très important pour stabiliser les intermédiaires de la réaction, en interaction avec le solvant. Ainsi, dans son solvant naturel qu’est H₂O, la GS réalise une réaction ‘chimiquement difficile’ (barrière énergétique élevée de l’amidation) rendue possible par le clivage de l’ATP et son caractère exergonique. / Nitrogen nutrition in bacteria and plants is currently an important topic, in particular to identify key points for metabolic improvements in N assimilation and more generally, to optimize fertilization and crop yield. In such a context, the amidation reaction catalyzed by glutamine synthetase (GS), which fixes ammonium (NH₄)⁺ into glutamine, is of crucial importance since it both represents the N entry in plants and the main step of N recycling (such as photorespiratory (NH₄)⁺. Here, we examined GS kinetics and chemical mechanism. Analytical methods (HPLC, NMR, GC-MS) have been set up so as to measure in vitro activities and isotopic abundance by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. These gave access to isotope effects (¹²C/¹³C, ¹⁴N/¹⁵N et H₂O/D₂O – solvent) during catalysis, with the GS from either E. coli or A. thaliana (GS1,2). Our results show that there no ¹²C/¹³C isotope effect but there is significant ¹⁴N/¹⁵N isotope fractionation of ca. 16‰. In addition, there is an inverse solvent isotope effect (reaction 1.5 to 2 times faster in D₂O). This suggests that forming the C----N bond (amidation) is partially rate-limiting (catalytic commitment of ca. 14% only) and the H-bond network in the active site is of substantial importance for the reaction rate. The occurrence of inverse ¹⁴N/¹⁵N isotope effects under certain circumstances as well as the drastic impact of changing the metal cofactor (Mg²⁺)) indicate that the amidation step can be reversible and that the coordination by the metal plays a key role in stabilizing reaction intermediates, by interfacing the solvent. In other words, in its natural solvent H₂O, the GS catalyses an intrinsically ‘difficult’ reaction (high energy barrier of amidation) made possible by both ATP cleavage and its exergonic nature.

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No / During the micro-excavation of the cauldrons, residues were identified which appeared different from the surrounding soil and metal corrosion products. Thirty-seven of these residues from nine cauldrons and two significant fragments of incomplete cauldrons were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) along with two samples of soil from the micro-excavation for comparison. The aim of the analysis was to determine whether these residues contained any organic material related to the use of the cauldrons, specifically lipids (fats, waxes, resins etc.) from the preparation of food or drink. Two of the samples from the cauldrons were also sent for compound specific carbon stable isotope analysis by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) to give a more precise identification of the residues.

No description available.