Portable fizzy extraction ion-mobility spectrometry system

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta Vol. 1204; p. 339699
• Main Authors: Chen, Chi-Hsiang, Prabhu, Gurpur Rakesh D., Yu, Kai-Chiang, Elpa, Decibel P., Urban, Pawel L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 29.04.2022
• Subjects: Ion mobility; Liquid-gas extraction; Portable analyzer; Volatile organic compounds; Volatile organic compounds; Portable analyzer; Liquid-gas extraction; Ion mobility
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339699

Fizzy extraction (FE) is a technique that utilizes effervescence phenomenon to extract volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from liquid matrices for subsequent analysis. To induce effervescence, a liquid sample is first pressurized (at ∼ 150 kPa) with an extractant gas (here, nitrogen), and then rapidly depressurized. In this work, we combine an in-house-built FE system with a commercial ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) module in order to develop a portable analytical platform for in-situ analysis of VOCs in liquid samples. The size and shape of the FE-IMS platform are similar to those of a typical airline catering trolley. Its operation is enabled by several electronic and electromechanical components (a single-board computer, two microcontroller boards, a relay board, six DC-DC converters, a pressure regulator, a solenoid valve, and a pinch valve). The platform can carry out the extraction procedure as well as acquire, process, and transmit the data to a cloud-storage service. A custom-designed graphical user interface allows the user to select one of the available operation modes: full spectrum mode, ion current profile mode, and cleaning mode. The interface also allows one to follow the analysis progress, display the final result, and upload it to the Internet cloud. The platform has been characterized using three standards: ethyl acetate, ethyl propanoate, and butanone; and their limits of detection are 4.51 × 10−8 M, 2.74 × 10−8 M, and 1.26 × 10−7 M, respectively. Furthermore, its ability to analyze real samples (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages) has been demonstrated. [Display omitted] •A portable platform for analysis of volatiles in liquid samples is disclosed.•It is based on hyphenation of fizzy extraction and ion-mobility spectrometry.•It has been built using off-the-shelf electronic and electromechanical components.•It features a graphical user interface for seamless operation.•The collected datasets are immediately uploaded to the Internet cloud.