Issue 8, 2024

Towards the best total consumption infrared-heated sample introduction system for nanoparticle measurement using single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract

Nanoparticles (NPs) are ubiquitous because they find applications in nanomedicine, materials science, and consumer products to name a few, and eventually end up in the environment. The various techniques available to analyze NPs each have strengths and limitations. This study focuses on improving the single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICPMS) technique to address the limitations of existing methods and improve the size detection limit for Pt and Au NPs. Infrared heating of the spray chamber and connection to the torch is used to pre-evaporate the aerosol and improve the transport efficiency. Eight modified cyclonic spray chambers with a volume ranging from 25 to 125 mL, where an IR emitter is inserted in a modified baffle and the gap between the top of the baffle and the top service of the spray chamber was varied, are tested for the characterization of NPs to see their effect on sensitivity, detection limit, and transport efficiency. The results indicate that the 50 mL modified spray chamber with a 2 mm gap between the top of the baffle and the top service of the spray chamber offers the best detection limit for Pt. It enhances sensitivity and precision and allows accurate characterization of Au and Pt NPs without any measurement of the transport efficiency. Furthermore, this sample introduction system provided similar improvements in sensitivity and detection limit when used with the same nebulizer on two different spICPMS instruments.

Graphical abstract: Towards the best total consumption infrared-heated sample introduction system for nanoparticle measurement using single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Mar 2024
Accepted
11 Jun 2024
First published
04 Jul 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2024,39, 2078-2086

Towards the best total consumption infrared-heated sample introduction system for nanoparticle measurement using single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Z. Zhou, M. J. Burgener, J. Burgener and D. Beauchemin, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2024, 39, 2078 DOI: 10.1039/D4JA00075G

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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