Low-volume PEEK gas cell for BTEX detection using portable deep-UV absorption spectrophotometry

Monitoring of indoor air quality by detecting individual airborne pollutant is essential for maintaining a healthy indoor environment. UV absorption spectrophotometry coupled with gas chromatography offers a reliable, self-referenced and non-destructive technique for the identification and detection of gas molecules. This paper presents a deep-UV absorption spectrophotometer coupled with a micro gas-chromatography (µGC) for the detection of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). The spectrophotometer was developed using a low-volume gas cell made of PolyEther Ether Ketone polymer (PEEK) tube, connected with a portable deep-UV LED and photomultiplier tube. The performance of the detection unit was evaluated with different concentrations of toluene (5-100 ppm) in nitrogen and a sensitivity of 107.1 µAU/ppm with a limit of detection of 1.41 ppm was obtained. The detector was incorporated into a micro gas-chromatography setup and high quality chromatograms, having all the peaks separated with good repeatability were obtained for BTEX molecules. The deep-UV absorption spectrophotometer developed demonstrates low-volume, low-cost, and ease of development and integration. Whilst demonstrated for BTEX in a nitrogen carrier gas, the spectrometer has the potential to be applied to chromatographic analysis of different analytes in gas or liquid media.