Determination of dialkyldiselenides in water by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as derivatization reagent.

The feasibility of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the speciation of traces of dialkyldiselenides in the presence of dialkylselenides and inorganic selenium species is described, and the procedure is applied to environmental samples. The analysis is based on the reaction of dialkyldiselenide species with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene after volatilization of selenium species as alkylselenols using a volatilization and trap device. Parameters affecting the volatilization and derivatization of the selenium compounds are discussed, and the performance of the method is described. The approach reaches detection limits in the order of nanograms (after a preconcentration step) and has been applied to the analysis of dimethyldiselenium and diethyldiselenium in natural waters.