Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry最新文献

{"title":"Detection of Br and I as atomic anions using liquid sampling – atmospheric pressure glow discharge/Orbitrap mass spectrometry","authors":"Dehlia A. Lang, Joseph V. Goodwin, Cameron J. Stouffer, Benjamin T. Manard and R. Kenneth Marcus","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00219B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00219B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The quantification and determination of halogen isotope composition is essential in many fields including geochemistry and nuclear forensics. Detection of the halogen elements is commonly attempted with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) however, there are multiple challenges faced. Most significantly this includes very poor ionization efficiency and the potential for isobaric interferences from either matrix or plasma species. Thus, sensitivity and accuracy are often limiting issues. Here a liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) ionization source is coupled with an ultrahigh resolution Orbitrap MS to perform halogen detection of bromine and iodine as initial analytes. This facilitates simple and sensitive detection of these elements as atomic anions from simple aqueous salt solutions. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) and higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) energies were optimized to produce the maximum response of Br<small>⁻</small> and I<small>⁻</small>. The LS-APGD conditions were optimized using a design of experiments (DOE) approach for Br<small>⁻</small> and I<small>⁻</small> concurrently. Response curves for Br<small>⁻</small> and I<small>⁻</small> solutions determined limit of detection (LOD) values of 50 pg and 5 pg, respectively, in 20 μL aliquots. The curves indicated response factors of 0.67 for <small>⁷⁹</small>Br<small>⁻</small> and 0.90 for <small>¹²⁷</small>I<small>⁻</small>. Br isotope ratios were determined with precision between 0.7 and 7.3% RSD, with the isotope ratios determined with precision 0.8% RSD at concentrations above the limit of quantification. Preliminary tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of different cations (Na<small>⁺</small>, K<small>⁺</small>, and Mg<small>²⁺</small>) on Br<small>⁻</small> responses, with no discernible impacts observed on the halogen signal responses. This study demonstrates the potential use of the LS-APGD-Orbitrap-MS for the detection of multiple halogens while avoiding interferences, minimizing sample preparation, and overcoming ionization barriers.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2625-2632"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ja/d5ja00219b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spectral signal enhancement in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy via arc discharge assistance","authors":"Xin Yu, Yuqi Hu, Yuanfei Jiang, Anmin Chen and Mingxing Jin","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00222B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00222B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In this study, a technique combining arc discharge with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (AD-LIBS) was developed to investigate the influence of arc discharge on the spectral enhancement of Si plasma. The study focused on its effects on spectral intensity, electron density, plasma temperature, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) under varying laser energies in both nanosecond (ns) and femtosecond (fs) regimes. The arc discharge device features a simple design, low cost, and minimal safety concerns, making it a promising approach for future development. Experimental results show that AD-LIBS significantly improves spectral intensity and SNR in both ns-LIBS and fs-LIBS modes. In particular, the arc discharge yields a more pronounced SNR enhancement at lower energies in fs-LIBS. With increasing laser energy, both electron density and plasma temperature are higher when arc discharge is applied compared to the conventional LIBS setup, and the plasma temperature in fs-LIBS is slightly higher than that in ns-LIBS. Finally, the morphological characteristics of ablation under nanosecond and femtosecond laser conditions with and without arc discharge were reported. These findings demonstrate that the incorporation of arc discharge can effectively enhance the detection sensitivity of LIBS, offering a new pathway toward high-precision and high-sensitivity spectroscopic analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2957-2965"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-linearity correction for variable signal analysis in mass spectrometry using discrete ion counters","authors":"Stefaan Pommé","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00243E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00243E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The response of a discrete ion counter is not perfectly linear due to count loss caused by dead time and pulse pileup. As a result, the output rate of the counter does not scale linearly with the input rate of ions reaching the detector. The value of a stable input rate can be determined from the measured output rate by inverting the throughput formula of the ion counter. However, when the input rate varies during the measurement, a mismatch between the average input rate and the average output rate becomes apparent. The resulting bias can be particularly significant when measuring transient signals. A correction procedure is proposed to calculate a better estimate of the average input rate from the observed mean and variance of the output rate. Implementation of this refined throughput formula is recommended to improve accuracy of mass spectrometry utilising discrete ion counters.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2937-2944"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ja/d5ja00243e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"K, Mg, and Ca isotopic analysis from a single aliquot of thirteen biological certified reference materials","authors":"Léo Delette, Emmanuelle Albalat, Philippe Télouk, Frank Vanhaecke and Vincent Balter","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00293A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00293A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Combining different but related isotopic systems is key to understanding biological systems as biological functions involving metals in the body generally interact. Potassium, magnesium, and calcium in the ionic form are such elements with related properties. The present work aims to demonstrate a new method to isolate these three metals from a single sample aliquot using AG50W-X12 cation exchange resin, custom-made quartz columns and HCl at different molarities for their subsequent isotopic analysis using MC-ICP-MS. The accuracy of the method was assessed using thirteen certified reference materials with different biological matrices, seven of which have not been analyzed for either their potassium, magnesium, or calcium isotopic compositions before. The procedure allows for an efficient isolation of potassium using AG50W-X12 resin only. However, for matrices characterized by high concentrations of copper, zinc, and/or iron, a prior chromatographic treatment is required, as copper and zinc co-elute with magnesium and iron with calcium, causing matrix effects during the subsequent isotopic analysis. Furthermore, with AG50W-X12 resin, strontium co-elutes with calcium, thus requiring another purification step to separate these elements using a Sr-Spec resin. The efficiency of this method is confirmed by quantitative chromatographic recoveries, low procedural blanks and isotopic compositions corresponding to literature values. This protocol should greatly enhance sample processing with lower volumes of acid, resin, and sample. From a single aliquot, and three consecutive steps, it is possible to isolate seven target elements. Additionally, we provide new values for the isotopic compositions of K, Mg, and Ca for diverse biological certified reference materials enabling improved future method validation of biological applications by using reference materials that show closer resemblance to the investigated samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2909-2922"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative determination of rhenium isotopes in geological reference materials with and without HF-desilicification","authors":"Jin-Hua Liu, Xiao-Dong Deng, Jian-Wei Li and Thomas J. Algeo","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00259A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00259A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The utilization of rhenium (Re) mass fractions or isotopes (<em>δ</em><small>¹⁸⁷</small>Re, reported relative to SRM 3143) as a high-sensitivity geochemical tracer has advanced substantially in the past decade, driven by its unique redox-controlled mass-dependent fractionation behavior spanning low- to high-temperature geological processes and systems. Current analytical protocols mainly employ HCl–HNO<small>₃</small> digestion without desilicification for Re mass fraction analysis and HF–HNO<small>₃</small> digestion with complete desilicification for <em>δ</em><small>¹⁸⁷</small>Re<small>_{SRM 3143}</small> analysis, the latter procedure ensuring quantitative Re liberation but concurrently introducing potential interfering elements. In this study, we developed a novel and simple chromatographic separation protocol making use of HCl–HNO<small>₃</small> and HF–HNO<small>₃</small> mixtures to obtain pure Re fractions for analysis of silicate-hosted Re contributions to bulk <em>δ</em><small>¹⁸⁷</small>Re<small>_{SRM 3143}</small> signatures. The Re isotope ratio of the purified fraction was determined by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) employing a calibration model combining sample-standard bracketing with internal normalization (C-SSBIN). The robustness and reliability of the newly developed separation procedure was validated through analysis of certified reference materials digested by HF–HNO<small>₃</small>, including BCR-2, TDB-1 and OKUM, showing good agreement with literature data. Comparative analysis of non-desilicified reference materials (WPR-1a, OKUM, TDB-1, BHVO-2, AGV-2) revealed <em>δ</em><small>¹⁸⁷</small>Re<small>_{SRM 3143}</small> discrepancies ≤ 0.07‰ (intermediate precision) despite the presence of &gt;10% silicate-bound Re, demonstrating that HF-desilicification is not a necessary operation for Re isotope analysis. This finding suggests that sample mass can be increased to obtain sufficient Re for high-precision isotope measurement. Our separation procedure can be applied to various types of samples regardless of their Re mass fractions. Additionally, the <em>δ</em><small>¹⁸⁷</small>Re<small>_{SRM 3143}</small> of the sulfur-rich peridotite WPR-1a (first reported here) shows relatively lower values compared to other silicate reference materials, implying that redox processes can induce Re isotope fractionation.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2888-2896"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rationale, design and initial performance of a dual-wavelength (157 & 193 nm) cryo-LA-ICP-MS/MS system","authors":"Tobias Erhardt, C. Ashley Norris, Ruben Rittberger, Michael Shelley, Martin Kutzschbach, Linda Marko, Alexander Schmidt and Wolfgang Müller","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00090D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00090D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Owing to their wide applicability and relative ease of use, 193 nm ArF excimer lasers are commonly-used laser sources for laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). However, some materials, like quartz, sulphates, potassium salts, fused silica or water ice, often show poor ablation characteristics at 193 nm due to low absorption at deep-UV (DUV) wavelengths. Only very few LA-ICP-MS systems have utilized 157 nm F<small>₂</small> excimer lasers, likely due to their low laser energy output in combination with the challenges that the transmission of vacuum-UV (VUV) radiation poses. Nevertheless, by using a 157 nm laser, some of the shortcomings of 193 nm LA can be overcome, because many of the “difficult to ablate” materials are opaque at 157 nm and the ∼20% higher photon energies at 157 nm. Here we describe a custom-built dual-wavelength (157 nm &amp; 193 nm) cryo-LA-ICP-MS/MS system, built around the RESOlution-SE LA system with an S155 two-volume ablation cell, to which a separate 157 nm beam path was added. The system utilizes two distinct laser sources and beam paths for the two wavelengths, each optimized for the specific requirements and use-cases, and facilitates switching between the wavelengths within less than half a day. Furthermore, the system can be equipped with a newly-designed large cryo-sample holder for the S155 LA cell to analyze natural ice samples. Alongside the characterization of the 157 nm beam path, yielding on-sample fluences of up to 8 J cm<small>⁻²</small>, we present comparative results of ablation characteristics for a range of materials at the two wavelengths, including threshold fluences of ablation and effective absorption depths. Our results show that ablation at 157 nm happens at low fluences (0.3–0.5 J cm<small>⁻²</small>) comparable with 193 nm for soda-lime glasses and calcites. For materials like calcium sulphates, quartz and fused-silica glasses, we demonstrate controlled, photochemical ablation at low fluences (0.3–1.1 J cm<small>⁻²</small>). To illustrate the applicability of 157 nm laser ablation for ICP-MS measurements, a trace element map of a quartz sample with variable composition is shown. Additionally, initial, qualitative results of the ablation of water ice are shown for both 193 nm and 157 nm, which demonstrate controlled ablation behaviour even in low impurity ice at 157 nm. Overall, our results indicate that LA-ICP-MS at 157 nm is a viable analytical method for sample matrices that are near-transparent at 193 nm and thus often difficult to ablate.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2857-2869"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ja/d5ja00090d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating metal distribution patterns in pristine and ocean-weathered plastics using LA-ICP-TOFMS","authors":"Lyndsey Hendriks, Matthias Egger and Denise M. Mitrano","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00223K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5JA00223K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Plastic pollution in marine environments poses ecological risks, in part because plastic debris can release hazardous substances, such as metal-based additives. While microplastics have received considerable attention as vectors of contaminants, less is known about larger macroplastics and their role in the spatial and temporal redistribution of substances. In this study, pristine, store-bought plastic items and macroplastics recovered from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) were analysed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify polymer types, and bulk acid digestion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for total metal quantification. These techniques were complemented by high resolution elemental mapping by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS). Detailed elemental maps revealed native metal distribution in pristine plastics, and evidence of both sorption and intrinsic metal depletion in weathered plastics. In particular, weathered plastics showed surface depletion of intrinsic metals, and enrichment of seawater-derived elements (<em>e.g.</em>, Na, Mg, I). Linear regressions were used to quantify spatial distribution trends across cross sections, providing statistical support for directional gradients. Since pristine and weathered plastics were opportunistically collected, variability in product type, polymer chemistry, and weathering time limited direct comparisons. Instead, this study demonstrates the utility of LA-ICP-TOFMS for mapping elemental distribution in plastics, offering a novel analytical approach for investigating spatial metal distribution in plastics and laying the groundwork for future studies on weathering processes in marine environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2841-2856"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12415543/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single particle ICP-TOFMS for the detection of micro-scale polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride from artificially aged bulk plastic","authors":"Raquel Gonzalez de Vega, Maximilian J. Huber, Isabel S. Jüngling, Natalia P. Ivleva and David Clases","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00213C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00213C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A method for the simultaneous analysis of carbon (C) and chlorine (Cl) in individual microplastic particles (MPs) using single particle (SP) inductively coupled plasma – time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS) was developed. The approach exploited hydrogen-assisted cluster ion formation to monitor Cl as <small>³⁵</small>ClH<small>₂</small><small>⁺</small> and was applied in conjunction with a collision/reaction cell that used an altered radiofrequency amplitude to balance ion transmission for both C<small>⁺</small> and ClH<small>₂</small><small>⁺</small>. This strategy improved detection limits for Cl-bearing particles and enabled co-detection of C and Cl within the same SP event. As a proof of concept, artificially aged polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were analysed. Discrimination of MP polymers was achieved by detecting either only C in a SP event (PS) or the coincident detection of C and Cl (PVC). Critical detection thresholds of 1.2 μm (0.8 pg, <em>via</em> C) for PS and 1.4 μm (0.8 pg, <em>via</em> C) or 1.3 μm (0.9 pg, <em>via</em> Cl) for PVC were determined. Particles larger than ∼10 μm, however, were poorly transported by the nebulisation system, limiting effective detection to smaller MPs.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2649-2657"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ja/d5ja00213c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Matrix effect during sulfur isotope determination of apatite using SIMS and the potential of using bioapatite to reconstruct the sulfur isotopic composition of seawater","authors":"Rucao Li, Jianwei Yu, Jinyu Yan, Xiao-Lei Wang, Jianlin Liao, Yue Guan, Lan-Lan Tian and Chengming Wang","doi":"10.1039/D4JA00375F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4JA00375F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Recent studies have shown that the sulfur isotopic composition of apatite can be determined using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). However, the matrix effect during SIMS analysis of sulfur isotopic composition of apatite has not been well constrained. We investigate this topic by analyzing a set of reported apatite standards (<em>i.e.</em>, Big1, SAP1, Durango-B, Hormuz and Mdg-1) with various sulfur concentrations (160–3003 ppm). Our results show that the instrumental mass fractionation (IMF) is negatively correlated with sulfur concentration, indicating that there is a significant matrix effect during sulfur isotope determination of apatite using SIMS. But fortunately, the matrix effect can be corrected using the linear correlation between IMF and sulfur concentration. Using the method reported in this study, we investigated the potential of using the sulfur isotopic composition of bioapatite to reconstruct the sulfur isotopic composition of ancient seawater. Two bioapatite samples collected from modern marine sediments were analyzed. Both samples show significant variation in their <em>δ</em><small>³⁴</small>S values, and both samples have average <em>δ</em><small>³⁴</small>S values lower than that of modern seawater. The data can be explained if sulfur sourced from reoxidation of the sulfide produced by bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) and evolved seawater sulfate in porewater was incorporated into bioapatite during early diagenesis. This means that the primary sulfur isotope signal in bioapatite was possibly altered during early diagenesis, and the sulfur isotopic composition of bioapatite cannot directly be used to reconstruct the sulfur isotopic composition of ancient seawater. However, we note that one bioapatite has <em>δ</em><small>³⁴</small>S values very close to that of modern seawater, indicating that the primary sulfur isotope signal may be retained in well preserved bioapatite samples. Future research is required to identify the exact location where the sulfur isotopic composition remains unaltered, prior to utilizing the sulfur isotopic composition of bioapatite to reconstruct the sulfur isotopic composition of ancient seawater.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2833-2840"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Introducing MC-MICAP-MS: using a N2-based plasma ion source for Sr isotope abundance ratio measurements","authors":"Anika Retzmann, Ashok Menon and Michael E. Wieser","doi":"10.1039/D5JA00271K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5JA00271K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >High-precision metal(loid) isotope abundance ratios are a powerful research tool across various disciplines. These ratios are typically measured using multi-collector mass spectrometry with ion sources such as gas source, thermal ionization, or inductively coupled plasma (<em>i.e.</em>, IRMS, TIMS, and MC-ICP-MS). This study presents the first integration of the recently developed microwave inductively coupled atmospheric-pressure plasma (MICAP) ion source, which sustains a plasma using N<small>₂</small>, with a multi-collector mass spectrometer and offers the first characterization of the resulting MC-MICAP-MS instrument for high-precision metal isotope abundance ratio measurements. The performance of the MC-MICAP-MS instrument was evaluated by measuring Sr isotope abundance ratios and directly comparing the results with those obtained using established technology (<em>i.e.</em>, MC-ICP-MS) with an Ar-ICP as the ion source. Initial results using the MICAP ion source show that the <small>⁸⁷</small>Sr/<small>⁸⁶</small>Sr intensity ratio precision (approx. 0.007%) and the repeatability of the <small>⁸⁷</small>Sr/<small>⁸⁶</small>Sr intensity ratio (approx. 0.010%), as well as the intermediate precision of the conventional <small>⁸⁷</small>Sr/<small>⁸⁶</small>Sr isotope abundance ratio (approx. 0.0013%) are fully comparable to those of conventional MC-ICP-MS systems. The instrumental isotopic fractionation (IIF) observed for the new MC-MICAP-MS instrument was predominantly mass-dependent for Sr. This allowed the successful application of common IIF correction strategies, such as internal normalisation and standard-sample bracketing, for the determination of Sr isotope abundance ratios. The conventional <small>⁸⁷</small>Sr/<small>⁸⁶</small>Sr isotope abundance ratios and <em>δ</em><small>⁸⁸</small>Sr/<small>⁸⁶</small>Sr<small>_SRM987</small> values measured for various geological and biological reference materials (<em>i.e.</em>, seawater, basalt, slate, and bone) using MC-MICAP-MS were consistent with previously reported values obtained from established technologies such as TIMS and MC-ICP-MS. Overall, this study demonstrates that MICAP is an applicable and viable alternative ion source for multi-collector mass spectrometry, maintaining both double-focusing properties and high-precision performance without compromising the accuracy and reliability of the measurement results.</p>","PeriodicalId":81,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry","volume":" 10","pages":" 2803-2815"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ja/d5ja00271k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}