Issue 8, 2025

Assessment of matrix effects in boron isotope analysis using 257 nm fs-LA and 193 nm ns-LA-MC-ICP-MS with new tourmaline reference materials

Abstract

This study compared boron (B) isotopic compositions of six chemically diverse tourmalines (including schorl, dravite, and elbaite types) using 257 nm femtosecond (fs) and 193 nm nanosecond (ns) laser ablation coupled with multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS). Significant matrix effects were observed when non-matrix-matched standards were used, leading to δ11B deviations of −0.70‰ to −0.41‰ for fs-LA and −0.63‰ to −0.57‰ for ns-LA when using dravite GIGT as a bracketing standard for schorl (TOUR1 and TOUR4) and elbaite (TOUR6). In contrast, using GIGT as the matrix-matched bracketing standard in the B analysis of dravites (TOUR2, TOUR3, and TOUR5) yielded significantly lower deviations of −0.22‰ to −0.18‰ for fs-LA and −0.44‰ to 0.12‰ for ns-LA. These findings necessitate matrix-matched standards for precise and accurate in situ measurements of B isotopes. We characterized four natural tourmaline reference materials (TOUR1, TOUR4, TOUR5, and TOUR6) for in situ B isotope analysis using LA-MC-ICP-MS and confirmed their isotopic homogeneity. The measured mean δ11B values were −11.14 ± 0.40‰ (2SD, n = 597), −13.42 ± 0.57‰ (2SD, n = 509), −9.09 ± 0.60‰ (2SD, n = 486), and −8.57 ± 0.17‰ (2SD, n = 164), respectively, agreeing well with those obtained by solution nebulizer (SN)-MC-ICP-MS. Thus, schorl (TOUR1 and TOUR4), dravite (TOUR5), and elbaite (TOUR6) are recommended as candidate matrix-matched tourmaline reference materials for in situ B isotope determination.

Graphical abstract: Assessment of matrix effects in boron isotope analysis using 257 nm fs-LA and 193 nm ns-LA-MC-ICP-MS with new tourmaline reference materials

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Apr 2025
Accepted
06 Jun 2025
First published
06 Jun 2025

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2025,40, 2049-2061

Assessment of matrix effects in boron isotope analysis using 257 nm fs-LA and 193 nm ns-LA-MC-ICP-MS with new tourmaline reference materials

X. Nie, Y. Zhang, Z. Bao, K. Chen, W. Yang and H. Yuan, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2025, 40, 2049 DOI: 10.1039/D5JA00167F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements