Inductively coupled plasma mass semiquantitative analysis

A. Krushevska, A. Lasztity, M. Kotrebai, R. M. Barnes, Addition of tertiary amines in the semiquantitative, multi-element inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric analysis of biological materials, J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 11 (1996), 343D352. 

The SEM-EDS analysis produced a semiquantitative analysis of the elemental composition found in the samples. In spite of the presence of a number of heavy elements, organics were present in significant quantities. Consequently, the inorganic identification route of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was not pursued at this time. 

The availability of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) has provided a method of detection of many impurities at very low concentrations directly in the organometallic compound itself. ICP mass spectrometry is a relatively recently developed chemical analysis technique that is useful in the detection of trace element concentrations in a liquid or solid matrix. ICPMS can measure the presence of almost all elements simultaneously, thus giving a detailed, semiquantitative picture of the impurity distribution in the sample. This technique has sensitivities for many elements in the parts-per-billion to parts-per-trillion range. It has the advantage that it is extremely sensitive and can analyze small samples (10 ml or less) of organometallics directly. The ICPMS technique employs a plasma to dissociate the material to be characterized into... 

Since the introduction of the first commercial instrument in 1983, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has become widely accepted as a powerful technique for elemental analysis. Two excellent books on ICP-MS have been published [1,2]. ICP-MS provides rapid, multielement analysis with detection limits at single parts part trillion or below for about 40 to 60 elements in solution and a dynamic range of 104 to 108. These are the main reasons most ICP-MS instruments have been purchased. Two additional, unique capabilities of ICP-MS have also contributed to its commercial success elemental isotope ratio measurements and convenient semiquantitative analysis. The relative sensitivities from element to element are predictable enough that semiquantitative analysis (with accuracy within a factor of 2 to 5) for up to 80 elements can be obtained using a single calibration solution containing a few elements and a blank solution. 

Inductively coupled plasma—mass spectrometry is versatile enough to provide many approaches for performing a variety of types of analyses. The technique s high sensitivity, coupled with multielement detection capability, allows a wide scope of qualitative, semiquantitative, and quantitative determinations to be achieved over a large dynamic concentration range (minor to ultratrace concentration levels). By optimizing these quantitation methods, solutions to specific analysis problems can be arrived at readily. 

Amarasiriwardena, D., Durrant, S. F., Lasztity, A., Krushevska, A., Argentine, M. D., and Barnes, R. M. (1997). Semiquantitative analysis of biological materials by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Microchem.J. 56(3), 352. 

Cromwell, E. E, and Arrowsmith, P. (1995). Semiquantitative analysis with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Chem. 67(1), 131. 

Montes Bayon, M., Garcia Alonso,]. I., and Sanz-Medel, A. (1998). Semiquantitative elemental analysis of water samples using double focusing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. /./4M(j/..(4i. Spectrom. 13(9), 1027. 

Soldevila,J., El Himri, M., Pastor, A., and de la Guardia, M. (1998). Evaluation of operational parameters affecting semiquantitative multi-elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.J.Spectrom. 13(8), 803. 

G. M. Hieftje, Standardless Semiquantitative Analysis of Metals Using Single-Shot Laser Ablation Inductively Couple Plasma Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry, Anal. Chem. 2001, 73, 2959. 

Leach A. and Hieetje G. M. (2001) Standardless semiquantitative analysis of metals using single-shot laser ablation inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry, Anal. Chem. 73 2959-2967. 

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