Spectroscopy Solutions has developed an on-demand version of its 'Applications and New Developments in ICP-MS and Related Techniques eSeminar'. This online educational event will provide those using these techniques updates and guidance on the latest methods, protocols, processes and developments with key experts providing practical insights into their respective fields.
In this presentation Diane Beauchemin from Queen's University, Canada will explain how flow injection single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (FI-spICPMS) offers a simplified approach for the characterization of metal-based nanoparticles.
Summary
The increasing use of engineered nanomaterials in diverse sectors, such as textiles, cosmetics and medical products, is raising concern about their potential impact on the environment and on human health. Sophisticated and robust analytical techniques are required to detect and characterize nanoparticles (NPs) at low concentrations and in complex matrices. Single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICPMS) can both count metal-containing nanoparticles and measure their mass, thereby allowing sizing if their shape is known. However, the methodology associated with the current spICPMS approach for mass determination is not straightforward, as it requires determination of the sample introduction efficiency of the nebulization system.
In this presentation, a novel approach based on flow injection (FI) analysis coupled to ICPMS (i.e. FI-spICPMS) will be described. Unlike the established approach, this method does not require a determination of the transport efficiency and is thus better suited for high throughput analysis. The efficiency of FI-spICPMS will be demonstrated through the accurate determination of the size of 60-nm citrate-coated gold nanoparticles suspended in high-purity water. FI-spICPMS is highly reproducible and provides results in good agreement with those obtained by spICPMS. This thus demonstrates the suitability of FI-spICPMS as a nanoparticles analysis technique.
By viewing this presentation you will learn:
- The principles of spICPMS, including data processing steps
- A direct method for measurement of the sample introduction efficiency of the nebulisation system of ICPMS
- A simplified approach based on flow injection for performing spICPMS
