Investigation of hydride generation from arsenosugars - Is it feasible for speciation analysis?

Hydride generation (HG) from arsenosugars (dimethylarsinoylribosides) in batch and flow injection modes was studied. Its efficiency was found higher in HSO medium than in HCl and higher in the batch mode than in the flow injection mode. To increase the efficiency in the flow injection mode a new generator with two inlets of NaBH solution was designed. This modified generator was interfaced between a HPLC column and an atomic fluorescence detector. The arsenosugars studied yielded HG efficiencies in the range 13-30% most probably due to a complicated mechanism of HG. While the mechanism included a formation of two structures of the analyte-borane-complexes, only one of them can lead to a formation of volatile arsanes (dimethylarsane, methylarsane, and arsane were identified).