2010/10/21 by Amanda M. Stockton, Caroline Chandra Tjin, Grace Huang +3 · 2 citations
Engineering · Chemistry · #Microfluidic and Capillary Electrophoresis Applications #Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies #Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications
paper · doi:10.1002/elps.201000424
openalex publication_date 2010/10/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/23
A microchip CE method is developed for the analysis of two oxidized forms of carbon, aldehydes and ketones, with the Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA). Fluorescent derivitization is achieved in ∼ 15 min by hydrazone formation with Cascade Blue hydrazide in 30 mM borate pH 5-6. The microchip CE separation and analysis method is optimized via separation in 30 mM borate buffer, pH 9.5, at 20°C. A carbonyl standard consisting of ten aldehydes and ketones found in extraterrestrial matter is successfully separated; the resulting LOD depends on the reactivity of the compound and range from 70 pM for formaldehyde to 2 μM for benzophenone. To explore the utility of this method for analyzing complex samples, analyses of several fermented beverages are conducted, identifying ten aldehydes and ketones ranging from 30 nM to 5 mM. A Martian regolith simulant sample, consisting of a basalt matrix spiked with soluble ions and acetone, is designed and analyzed, but acetone is found to have a limited detectable lifetime under simulant Martian conditions. This work establishes the capability of the MOA for studying aldehydes and ketones, a critical class of oxidized organic molecules of interest in planetary and in terrestrial environmental and health studies.