• Research Interests
• Publications
• Studentships

Research Interests

• Analytical chemistry
• Development of trace analytical methods
• Trace element analysis by liquid chromatography
• Trace analysis in environmental systems
• Chemical speciation
• Environmental, biological and industrial analysis

My principal research interest concerns the development of novel methods for the separation and determination of trace constituents in a wide variety of sample types, including environmental, biological and industrial applications.

Over the last 10 years I have been involved with developing novel liquid chromatography processes linked with selective detection systems for the determination of trace metal species. The theoretical basis of the research involves the study of metal coordination chemistry processes at surfaces and how this affects chromatographic selectivity. The main focus of the work is the development and characterisation of metal selective chromatographic substrates for the separation of specific groups of metal species. The substrates contain specially designed chelating groups which are impregnated or chemically bonded to the stationary phase.

This area of separation science has become known as high performance chelation ion chromatography (HPCIC) and is particularly suited for the determination of trace metals in complex and difficult samples such as seawater, sediments, biological material and industrial samples with high salt content or large concentrations of interfering metals.

In parallel with the above main study I have been developing high sensitivity spectrophotometric detection systems so that HPCIC can determine metal species in samples at the sub part per billion level.

Recent Publications

2003

• Shaw, M.J., Cowan, J. and Jones, P. (2003) Fabrication of an aurin tricarboxylic acid immobilized chelating polymer for the ion chromatographic determination of trace metal ions in highly mineralized waters. Analytical Letters 36, 423-439.

2002

• Barnett, N.W., Hindson, B.J., Jones, P. and Smith, T.A. (2002) Chemically induced phosphorescence from manganese(II) during the oxidation of various compounds by manganese(III), (IV) break and (VII) in acidic aqueous solutions. Analytica Chimica Acta 451, 181-188.
• McCormack, P., Jones, P. and Rowland, S.J. (2002) Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric investigations of imidazoline corrosion inhibitors in crude oils. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 16, 705-712.
• Shaw, M.J., Jones, P. and Nesterenko, P.N. (2002) Dynamic chelation ion chromatography of transition and heavy metal ions using a mobile phase containing 4-chlorodipicolinic acid. Journal of Chromatography A 953, 141-150.
• Unsworth, E.R., Jones, P. and Hill, S.J. (2002) The effect of thermodynamic data on computer model predictions of uranium speciation in natural water systems. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 4, 528-532.

2001

• McCormack, P., Jones, P., Hetheridge, M.J. and Rowland, S.J. (2001) Analysis of oilfield produced waters and production chemicals by electrospray ionisation multi-stage mass spectrometry (ESI-MSⁿ). Water Research 35, 3567-3578.
• Truscott, J.B., Jones, P., Fairman, B.E. and Evans, E.H. (2001) Determination of actinide elements at femtogram per gram levels in environmental samples by on-line solid phase extraction and sector-field-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Analytica Chimica Acta 433, 245-253.
• Truscott, J.B., Jones, P., Fairman, B.E. and Evans, E.H. (2001) Determination of actinides in environmental and biological samples using high-performance chelation ion chromatography coupled to sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A 928, 91-98.

2000

• Barnett, N.W., Hindson, B.J., Lewis, S.W., Jones, P. and Worsfold, P.J. (2001) Soluble manganese(IV); a new chemiluminescence reagent. Analyst (London) 126, 1636-1639.
• Barnett, N.W., Hindson, B.J., Lewis, S.W., Purcell, S.D. and Jones, P. (2000) Preparation and preliminary evaluation of anhydrous tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(III) perchlorate as a temporally stable reagent for analytical chemiluminescence. Analytica Chimica Acta 421, 1-6.
• Cowan, J., Shaw, M.J., Achterberg, E.P., Jones, P. and Nesterenko, P.N. (2000) The ion chromatographic separation of high valence metal cations using a neutral polystyrene resin dynamically modified with dipicolinic acid. Analyst (London) 125, 2157-2159.
• Jones, P. (2000) Major sensitivity improvements in ion chromatography determinations involving post-column spectrophotometric reaction detectors through elimination of pump noise using a dual wavelength monitoring procedure. Analyst (London) 125, 803-806.
• Shaw, M.J., Hill, S.J., Jones, P. and Nesterenko, P.N. (2000) Determination of beryllium in a stream sediment by high-performance chelation ion chromatography. Journal of Chromatography A 876, 127-133.
• Shaw, M.J., Hill, S.J., Jones, P. and Nesterenko, P.N. (2000) Determination of uranium in environmental matrices by chelation ion chromatography using a high performance substrate dynamically modified with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid. Chromatographia 51, 695-700.

1999

• Gerardi, R.D., Barnett, N.W. and Jones, P. (1999) Two chemical approaches for the production of stable solutions of tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(III) for analytical chemiluminescence. Analytica Chimica Acta 388, 1-10.
• Hardy, S., Jones, P., Riviello, J.M. and Avdalovic, N. (1999) Construction and investigation of a post-capillary reactor for trace metal analysis by capillary electrophoresis. Journal of Chromatography A 834, 309-320.
• Murphy, J., Schlemmer, G., Shuttler, I.L., Jones, P. and Hill, S.J. (1999) Simultaneous multi-element determination of hydride-forming elements by "in-atomiser trapping" electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry on an iridium-coated graphite tube. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 14, 1593-1600.
• Nesterenko, P.N., Shaw, M.J., Hill, S.J. and Jones, P. (1999) Aminophosphonate-functionalized silica: A versatile chromatographic stationary phase for high-performance chelation ion chromatography. Microchemical Journal 62, 58-69.
• Shaw, M.J., Hill, S.J. and Jones, P. (1999) Chelation ion chromatography of metal ions using high performance substrates dynamically modified with heterocyclic carboxylic acids. Analytica Chimica Acta 401, 65-71.
• Shaw, M.J., Hill, S.J., Jones, P. and Nesterenko, P.N. (1999) High-performance chelation ion chromatography of transition and heavy metal ions on polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin dynamically modified with 4-chlorodipicolinic acid. Analytical Communications 36, 399-401.
• Truscott, J.B., Bromley, L., Jones, P., Evans, E.H., Turner, J. and Fairman, B. (1999) Determination of natural uranium and thorium in environmental samples by ETV-ICP-MS after matrix removal by on-line solid phase extraction. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 14, 627-631.

1998

• Evans, E.H., Truscott, J.B., Bromley, L., Jones, P., Turner, J. and Fairman, B.E. (1998) Evaluation of Chelation Preconcentration for the Determination of Actinide Elements by Flow Injection ICP-MS. In: Applications of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry to Radionuclide Determinations: Second Volume, ASTM STP 1344 (edited by Morrow, R.W. and Crain, J.S.), pp. 79-88. American Society for Testing and Materials.
• Fairman, B., Sanz-Medel, A., Jones, P. and Evans, E.H. (1998) Comparison of fluorimetric and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection systems for the determination of aluminium species in waters by high-performance liquid chromatography. Analyst (London) 123, 699-703.
• Guy, A., Jones, P. and Hill, S.J. (1998) Identification and chromatographic separation of antimony species with a-hydroxy acids. Analyst (London) 123, 1513-1518.
• Nesterenko, P.N. and Jones, P. (1998) Isocratic separation of lanthanides and yttrium by high-performance chelation ion chromatography on iminodiacetic acid bonded to silica. Journal of Chromatography A 804, 223-231.
• Nesterenko, P.N., Zhukova, O.S., Shpigun, O.A. and Jones, P. (1998) Synthesis and ion-exchange properties of silica chemically modified with aminophosphonic acid. Journal of Chromatography A 813, 47-53.
• Sutton, R.M.C., Hill, S.J., Jones, P., Sanz-Medel, A. and Garcia-Alonso, J.I. (1998) Comparison of the retention behaviour of uranium and thorium on high-efficiency resin substrates impregnated or dynamically coated with metal chelating compounds. Journal of Chromatography A 816, 286-291.

1997

• Hardy, S. and Jones, P. (1997) Capillary electrophoresis determination of methylmercury in fish and crab meat after extraction as the dithizone sulphonate complex. Journal of Chromatography A 791, 333-338.
• Jones, P. and Hardy, S. (1997) Development of a capillary electrophoretic method for the separation and determination of trace inorganic and organomercury species utilizing the formation of highly absorbing water soluble dithizone sulphonate complexes. Journal of Chromatography A 765, 345-352.
• Jones, P. and Nesterenko, P.N. (1997) High-performance chelation ion chromatography. A new dimension in the separation and determination of trace metals. Journal of Chromatography A 789, 413-435.
• Murphy, J., Jones, P., Schlemmer, G., Shuttler, I.L. and Hill, S.J. (1997) Investigations into the simultaneous determination of bismuth and selenium by 'in atomizer trapping' electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Analytical Communications 34, 359-362.
• Nesterenko, P.N. and Jones, P. (1997) First isocratic separation of fourteen lanthanides and yttrium by high-performance chelation ion chromatography. Analytical Communications 34, 7-8.
• Nesterenko, P.N. and Jones, P. (1997) Single-column method of chelation ion chromatography for the analysis of trace metals in complex samples. Journal of Chromatography A 770, 129-135.
• Sutton, R.M.C., Hill, S.J. and Jones, P. (1997) High-performance chelation ion chromatography for the determination of traces of bismuth in lead by means of a novel hypercrosslinked polystyrene resin. Journal of Chromatography A 789, 389-394.

1996

• Murphy, J., Jones, P. and Hill, S.J. (1996) Determination of total mercury in environmental and biological samples by flow injection cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. Spectrochimica Acta, Part B 51, 1867-1873.
• Nesterenko, P. and Jones, P. (1996) The comparative investigation of several stationary phases containing iminodiacetic functional groups for the high performance chelating exchange chromatography. Journal of Liquid Chromatography and Related Technologies 19, 1033-1045.
• Paull, B. and Jones, P. (1996) A comparative study of the metal selective properties of chelating dye impregnated resins for the ion chromatographic separation of trace metals. Chromatographia 42, 528-538.
• Sutton, R.M.C., Hill, S.J. and Jones, P. (1996) Comparison of the chelating ion exchange properties of dye coated cellulose and polystyrene substrates for the separation and determination of trace metals from aqueous media. Journal of Chromatography A 739, 81-86.

Studentships

Studentships since 1996: