Atomic spectrometry updates. Review of advances in elemental speciation

Abstract

This is the sixth Atomic Spectrometry Update (ASU) to focus specifically on advances in elemental speciation and covers a period of approximately 12 months from December 2012. This review deals with all aspects of the analytical speciation methods developed for: the determination of oxidation states; organometallic compounds; coordination compounds; metal and heteroatom-containing biomolecules, including metalloproteins, proteins, peptides and amino acids; and the use of metal-tagging to facilitate detection via atomic spectrometry. The review does not specifically deal with fractionation, sometimes termed operationally defined speciation. As with all ASU reviews^1–5 the coverage of the topic is confined to those methods that incorporate atomic spectrometry as the measurement technique. However, molecular MS techniques are covered where the use is in parallel or series with atomic spectrometry. As with previous years As and Se speciation continues to dominate current literature. However, research is moving further towards understanding the toxicological and beneficial mechanisms of these two elements. There is also in increase in macromolecular analysis, with a decrease in detection limits for some methodologies, which increases the potential clinical use of the techniques employed. The use of both atomic and molecular spectrometry is well developed in these fields, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of today's research environment. The trend towards lower cost more rapid analytical methods, often involving non-chromatographic speciation, also continues apace.