Radiocarbon in the Environment: Insights from Molecular Analysis

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) and the concurrent development of the related preparative instrumentation capabilities of GC (Gas Chromatography) and HPLC (High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography), the MSRD (Molecular Specific Radiocarbon Dating) method is rapidly evolving. This method makes it possible to suppress interferences due to the presence of extraneous substances in radiocarbon dating, some of which are almost impossible to remove in “bulk” treated samples. In addition to MSRD, ¹⁴C analyses of unambiguously defined organic compounds have more applications, e.g., monitoring certain biochemical or environmental processes, accurate quantification of ‘biocarbon’ in industrially produced compounds or fuels. The vast majority of organic compounds isolated for MSRD are characterised by very small masses, typically less than one milligram. For very small samples, direct AMS measurements using a negative ion gas source are generally preferable, allowing carbon masses to be measured from the size of the sample down to the lower tens of micrograms.

This Special Issue will accept articles focusing on the development of preparation procedures for MSRD, advances in AMS measurements of ¹⁴C in very small samples, and related applications. The aim of the Special Issue “Radiocarbon in the Environment: Insights from Molecular Analysis” is to promote the exchange and availability of information in this rapidly evolving field of ¹⁴C analysis.

Dr. Ivo Svetlik
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• molecular specific radiocarbon dating
• accelerator mass spectrometry
• preparative gas chromatography
• preparative high-pressure liquid chromatography
• no dating applications of ¹⁴C analyses
• environmental ¹⁴C
• interfering chemical forms of radiocarbon
• direct measurement of ¹⁴CO₂
• ultra small samples of carbon