Iron Nanoparticles by SP-ICP-MS: Overcoming Spectral Interferences Using Universal Cell Technology

Introduction

With the increasing interest in nanoparticles, various ways of detecting and measuring them are being used. One of the most promising techniques for analyzing metallic nanoparticles is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) run in single particle mode (SP-ICP-MS). Due to its sensitivity, flexibility, and analysis speed, ICP-MS is an ideal technique to detect and measure nanoparticles since it can determine a number of nanoparticle characteristics: inorganic composition, concentration, size, size distribution, and agglomeration.

One of the challenges with ICP-MS is overcoming interferences which can compromise results. However, this has not been an issue with most SP-ICP-MS work done to date since very few matrix-based interferences exist, and most of the nanoparticles examined thus far do not suffer from common spectral interferences. For example, gold and silver nanoparticles have many industrial applications and neither suffers from common interferences. Also, most nanoparticles are present in simple matrices which will not produce interferences.