Laser ablation mass spectrometry analysis

K. Niemax, Laser Ablation—Reflections on a Very Complex Technique for Solid Sampling, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem. 2001,370, 332. A major challenge for laser ablation-mass spectrometry is quantitative analysis. One scheme achieves semiquantitative analysis without standards by comparing the signal from each element with the total mass spectrometric signal A. M. Leach and... 

In laser ionization or laser ablation mass spectrometry, the ions formed by the interaction of the laser with solid are directly sampled into a mass spectrometer. Another option is that the material removed from the surface can be swept into an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for atomic analysis either by light emission... 

Figure 6 Positive ion mass spectrum of high-purity GaAs recorded with TOF-LMMS without (A) and with (B) postionization. (Reprinted from Schueler B and Odom R (1987) Nonresonant multiphoton ionisation of the neutrals ablated In laser microprobe mass spectrometry analysis of GaAs and Hgo.78Cdo.22Te. Journal of Applied Physics 61 4652-4661.)...

A somewhat related technique is that of laser ionization mass spectrometry (LIMS), also known as LIMA and LAMMA, where a single pulsed laser beam ablates material and simultaneously causes some ionization, analogous to samples beyond the outer surface and therefore is more of a bulk analysis technique it also has severe quantiBaction problems, often even more extreme than for SIMS. 

R. W. Odom and B. Schueler. Laser Microprobe Mass Spectrometry Ion and Neutral Analysis, in Lasers and Mass Spectrometry (D. M. Lubman, ed.) Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1990. Presents a useful discussion of LIMS instrumental issues, including the post-ablation ionization technique. Several anal)n ical applications are presented. 

Poitrasson, X.L., Mao, S.S., Freydier, R., Russo, R.E. 2003. Comparison of ultraviolet femtosecond and nanosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis in glass, monazite, and zircon. Analytical Chemistry, 75, 6184-6190. 

Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Ancient Copper Alloy... 

Laser Ablation—Inductively Coupled Plasma—Mass Spectrometry Analysis Applied to the Characterization of Peruvian Wari Ceramics... 

Arrowsmith, P (1990) Applications of laser ablation elemental analysis of sohds by secondary plasma source mass spectrometry. In Lasers and Mass Spectrometry, edited by Lubman, D.M. New York Oxford University... 

The most promising microfabricated ESI interface may be the one developed by Yin et al. [11], which features a nanospray tip formed by laser ablation (355 nm) of a polyimide substrate (Fig. 3a). The fabrication required to form these tips is relatively simple, and the devices integrate separation and sample enrichment modules which lead to mass spectrometry analysis with peak resolution, limits of detection and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) similar to those obtained by conventional macro-scale methods. Complex protein mixtures from blood plasma were char-... 

Principles and Characteristics Laser microprobe mass spectrometry (LMMS, LAMMS), sometimes called laser probe microanalysis (LPA or LPMA) and often also referred to as laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA , Leybold Heraeus) [317] or laser ionisation mass analysis (LIMA , Cambridge Mass Spectrome-try/Kratos) [318], both being registered trademarks, is part of the wider laser ionisation mass spectrometry (LIMS) family. In the original laser microprobe analyser, emitted light was dispersed in a polychro-mator. Improved sensitivity may be obtained by secondary excitation of ablated species with an electric spark. In the mass spectrometric version of the laser microprobe, ions formed in the microplasma... 

Today, two-dimensional mass spectrometry analysis of biological tissues by means of a technique called mass imaging, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), or imaging mass spectrometry has been used in mapping the distribution of elements or chemical groups in samples. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are three commonly used MSI techniques. 

Applications employing laser ablation of polymers include film deposition and the synthesis of certain organic compounds. Laser beam ablation in conjunction with mass spectrometry is an important tool for polymer analysis, which is referred to as laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS). One particular type of LDMS, termed matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), has contributed essentially to the analysis of proteins (Nobel prize for chemistry to K. Tanaka in 2002) [126,127]. Further information on this subject is available in Ref [4]. 

Until about the 1990s, visible light played little intrinsic part in the development of mainstream mass spectrometry for analysis, but, more recently, lasers have become very important as ionization and ablation sources, particularly for polar organic substances (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, MALDI) and intractable solids (isotope analysis), respectively. 

Laser based mass spectrometric methods, such as laser ionization (LIMS) and laser ablation in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are powerful analytical techniques for survey analysis of solid substances. To realize the analytical performances methods for the direct trace analysis of synthetic and natural crystals modification of a traditional analytical technique was necessary and suitable standard reference materials (SRM) were required. Recent developments allowed extending the range of analytical applications of LIMS and LA-ICP-MS will be presented and discussed. For example ... 

Laser Ablation ICP Optical Emission Spectrometry ICP Mass Spectrometry Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Analysis... 

Becker JS, Pickhardt C, Dietze H-J (2000) Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the trace, ultratrace and isotope analysis of long-lived radionuclides in solid samples. Inti J Mass Spectrom 202 283-297... 

Thomas JB, Bodnar RJ, Shimizu N, Sinha AK (2002) Determination of zircon/melt trace element partition coefficients from SIMS analysis of melt inclusions in zircon. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 66 2887-2901 Thompson GM, Malpas J (2000) Mineral/melt partition coefficients of oceanic alkali basalts determined on natural samples using laser ablation-inductively eouple plasma-mass spectrometry (LAM-ICP-MS). Mineral Mag 64 85-94... 

This presentation will summarize developments in laser ablation with emphasis on LIBS (laser induced breakdown spectroscopy) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) as analytical tools for real time chemical analysis (Fig. 1) (Russo et al. 

Durrant, S.F. and Ward, N.I. (1993). Rapid multielemental analysis of Chinese reference soils by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry 345 512-517. 

In the museum context, nondestructive (or quasi-nondestructive) techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) (Chapter 5) are often preferred for the analysis of inorganic objects, although microanalysis by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) (Chapter 9) is growing in importance, since the ablation craters are virtually invisible to the naked eye. Raman and infrared spectroscopy (Chapter 4) are now being used for structural information and the identification of corrosion products to complement X-ray diffraction (Section 5.4). 

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