Diane Beauchemin

Degrees

Major Awards

Publications
Puons
Contact Information

Overview of Research
Program

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Working with Beauchemin

Professor

B.Sc., 1980, Ph.D., 1984, Université de Montréal;

Research Associate, 1984-88, National Research Council of Canada;

Alan Date Memorial Award in ICP-MS, 1988;

Maccoll Prize in Mass Spectrometry, 1991.

Distinguished Service Award, Spectroscopy Society of Canada, 2001.

Contact Information
Chernoff Hall, Room CHE 308 (office)
Department of Chemistry,
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
Tel: (613) 533-2619 (office)
Lab CHE 106 Tel: (613) 533-6000 ext. 77740
Lab CHE 338 Tel: (613) 533-6000 ext. 78256
Fax: (613) 533-6669
e-mail: beauchmn@chem.queensu.ca

The research program aims at improving the analytical performance of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Demonstration of the applicability is made using selected environmental trace element analysis and speciation.

Fundamental studies of the plasma under various operating conditions are carried out to gain a better understanding of the ICP and of the sources of the important matrix effects which are typically observed in ICP-MS. These studies include mixed-gas plasmas since, according to our previous work, they are more robust ionization sources than the argon ICP.

Alternative means of sample introduction, such as chemical vaporization and flow injection (FI) techniques, are also being investigated to reduce sample waste (typically 98% of the sample) and/or improve the capabilities of ICP-MS. These include a thorough characterization of the beneficial effect of pre-evaporating the solvent prior to its entry into the plasma. As well, new and/or improved interfaces for coupling liquid and gas chromatographies to ICP-MS are considered.

Finally, FI methods are being developed for on-line matrix removal. For instance (see set-up below), a sample is injected into a carrier and adjusted to a suitable pH with a buffer before passing through a column of silica-immobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline (I-8-HOQ) where transition metals are selectively retained but the alkalis and alkaline earths continue to waste. An eluent is injected to recover the metals in a salt-free matrix which is then nebulized. If the volume of eluent is smaller than that of the sample, a preconcentration is achieved.

Recent Publications

Milithza Silva, Kurt Kyser and Diane Beauchemin "Enhanced flow injection leaching of rocks by focused microwave heating with in-line monitoring of released elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry", Anal. Chim. Acta., in press (accepted Nov. 13, 2006, doi:10.1016/j.aca.2006.11.043 ).

Shulan Liu and Diane Beauchemin, "Effect of concomitant analytes on As signal during pre-evaporation of the solvent prior to introduction into inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry", Spectrochim. Acta Part B, 61, 965-970 (2006).

Chaoyang Huang and Diane Beauchemin, "Simultaneous Determination of Two Conditional Stability Constants by IC-ICP-MS", J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 21, 1419-1422 (2006).

Shulan Liu and Diane Beauchemin, "Effect of methanol and sodium dodecylsulfate on radial profiles of ion abundance in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry", Spectrochim. Acta Part B, 61, 319-325 (2006).

Diane Beauchemin, "Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry", Anal. Chem., 78, 4111-4136 (2006).

Chaoyang Huang and Diane Beauchemin, "A Simple Method Based on IC-ICPMS to Determine Conditional Stability Constants", J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 21,317-320 (2006).

Shulan Liu and Diane Beauchemin, "Fundamental studies on the effect of pre-evaporation in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry", Spectrochim. Acta Part B, 61, 157-163 (2006)

Mingyan Chu and Diane Beauchemin, "Méthode améliorée pour évaluer la bio-accessibilité maximale des éléments dans les aliments solides par spectrométrie de masse à plasma à couplage inductif", Can. J. Anal. Sci. Spectrosc., 51, 323-329 (2005).

W.R. MacFarlane, T.K. Kyser, D. Chipley, D. Beauchemin and C. Oates, "Continuous leach inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: applications for exploration and environmental geochemistry", Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, 5, 123–134 (2005).

Mathieu L. Viger, Jean-Francois Y. Gravel, Danny Brouard, Diane Beauchemin et Denis Boudreau, "Use of Sol-Gels as Solid Matrixes for Trace Analysis by UV Laser Ablation and Laser-Enhanced Ionization Detection", Anal. Chem., 77, 706-710 (2005).

Diane Beauchemin, "Determination of the most precise isotope ratios from transient signals in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry", Can. J. Anal. Sci. Spectrosc., 49, 436-443 (2004).

Mingyan Chu and Diane Beauchemin, "Simple method to assess the maximum bio-accessibility of elements from food using flow injection and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry", J. Anal. At. Spectrom.,19, 1213–1216 (2004).

D. Chipley, T.K. Kyser, Diane Beauchemin and Bill MacFarlane, On-Line Continuous Leach Analysis of Soils by HR-ICP-MS, Can. J. Anal. Sci. Spectrosc., 48, 269-276 (2003).

Alison E. Holliday and Diane Beauchemin, Spatial profiling of analyte
signal intensities in ICP-MS, (invited refereed review) Spectrochim. Acta, in press (accepted December 22, 2003).

Holliday, A.E.; Beauchemin, D., Preliminary investigation of direct sea-water analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using a mixed-gas plasma, flow injection and external calibration. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 18, 1109-1112 (2003).

Huang, C.Y.; Beauchemin, D., Direct multielemental analysis of human serum by ICP-MS with on-line standard addition using flow injection. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 18, 951-952 (2003).

Holliday, A.E.; Beauchemin, D., Spatial profiling of ion distributions in a nitrogen-argon plasma in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 18, 289-295 (2003).

Holliday, A.E.; Beauchemin, D., Radial profiles of ion abundance in cold plasmas and mixed-gas plasmas in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Canadian Journal of Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy 47, 91-97 (2002).

Beauchemin, D.; Kyser, K.; Chipley, D., Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with on-line leaching: A method to assess the mobility and fractionation of elements. Analytical Chemistry 74, 3924-3928 (2002).

Beauchemin, D., Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry 74, 2873-2893 (2002).