TY - JOUR A1 - Shigeta, K. A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Okino, A. A1 - Rottmann, L. A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert T1 - Application of a micro-droplet generator for an ICP-sector field mass spectrometer - optimization and analytical characterization JF - Journal of analytical atomic spectrometry N2 - A micro-droplet generator (µDG) sample introduction system was coupled to a sector field ICP-MS instrument to investigate the analytical figures of merit with respect to single cell analysis. The sector field instrument was operated for the first time in a fast scanning mode (E-scan) with the shortest time resolution of 100 µs to measure the single droplet time resolved and using the original detector in a pulse counting mode without modification of the existing electronics. For reduction of the droplet diameter a triple pulse mode of the droplet generator was applied and a droplet diameter down to 23 µm has been achieved for this investigation with a 100% transport efficiency of droplets. Signal duration times of single droplets of less than 500 µs have been measured. Overall detection efficiencies in the range of 10-3 counts per atom have been achieved and absolute limits of detection range between 120 ag for Fe and 1.1 ag for Mg as a mean value from 1000 droplet events. PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c2ja30207a SN - 0267-9477 SN - 1364-5544 VL - 28 IS - 5 SP - 646 EP - 656 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - London AN - OPUS4-29447 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -