TY - JOUR A1 - You, Zengchao A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Determination of calcium, iron, and selenium in human serum by isotope dilution analysis using nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure plasma mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) N2 - In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) for Ca, Fe, and Se quantification in human serum using isotope dilution (ID) analysis. The matrix tolerance of MICAP-MS in Na matrix was investigated, uncovering that high Na levels can suppress the signal intensity. This suppression is likely due to the plasma loading and the space charge effect. Moreover, 40Ca and 44Ca isotopic fractionation was noted at elevated Na concentration. Nine certified serum samples were analyzed using both external calibration and ID analysis. Overestimation of Cr, Zn, As, and Se was found in the results of external calibration, which might be resulted from C-induced polyatomic interference and signal enhancement, respectively. Further investigations performed with methanol showed a similar enhancement effect for Zn, As, and Se, potentially supporting this assumption. The mass concentrations determined with ID analysis show metrological compatibility with the reference values, indicating that MICAP-MS combined with ID analysis can be a promising method for precise Ca, Fe, and Se determination. Moreover, this combination reduces the influences of matrix effects, broadening the applicability of MICAP-MS for samples with complex matrix. KW - Selenium KW - Nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry KW - Isotope dilution KW - Human serum KW - Calcium KW - Iron PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-598664 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05274-0 SN - 1618-2642 SP - 3117 EP - 3125 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-59866 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - You, Zengchao A1 - Hoffmann, V. A1 - Morcillo, Dalia A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonardo A1 - Leonhardt, Robert A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Investigation of aluminum current collector degradation in lithium-ion batteries using glow discharge optical emission spectrometry N2 - In this work, we employed glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) depth profiling as a fast and semi-quantitative method to investigate the aluminum (Al) current collector degradation in commercial lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) pouch cells with no Al2O3 pretreatment. After battery aging, a heterogeneous deposit was found on the surface of the cathode. Gray hotspot areas within an extensive pale white region were formed. Consistent with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis of micro-cross sections milled via targeted focused ion beam (FIB), an Al-containing layer of approximately 3 µm can be observed using GD-OES. We attribute one main cause of this layer is the degradation of the Al current collector. The nonuniform growth of this layer was investigated by performing GD-OES depth profiling at different in-plane positions. We found that the gray area has a higher mass concentration of Al, probably in metallic form, whereas the white area was probably covered more homogeneously with Al2O3, resulting from the inhomogeneous distribution of the pitting positions on the current collector. Compared to FIB-EDX, GD-OES enables a faster and more convenient depth profile analysis, which allows the more productive characterization of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and consequently benefits the development of preferable battery materials. KW - GD-OES KW - depth profiles KW - Li-ion battery KW - battery aging mechanism KW - current collector corrosion PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2023.106681 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 205 SP - 106681 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam, Netherlands AN - OPUS4-57383 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - You, Zengchao A1 - Akkus, Asli A1 - Weisheit, W. A1 - Giray, Thorsten A1 - Penk, Sibylle A1 - Buttler, Sabine A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Multielement analysis in soils using nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure plasma mass spectrometry N2 - In this study, we employed nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric-pressure plasma (MICAP) combined with quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS) and a liquid sample introduction system to analyze heavy metals in soils. The vanadium, cobalt, nickel, zinc, copper, chromium, arsenic, lead, and cadmium contents in seven reference and three environmental soil samples determined using MICAP-MS were within the uncertainty of the reference values, indicating that MICAP-MS is promising for soil analysis similar to the conventional inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique. In addition, the limits of detection (LODs) and sensitivity of both techniques using N2 and Ar plasma were of the same order of magnitude. Furthermore, the performance of MICAP-MS under different N2 purity was investigated, and we found that the plasma formation and ionization efficiency were not influenced by the impurities in the gas. A prominent advantage of MICAP-MS is the low operating cost associated with gas consumption. In this work, MICAP-MS used nitrogen, which is cheaper than argon, and consumed 25% less gas than ICP-MS. Using low-purity N2 can further reduce the gas cost, making MICAP-MS more cost effective than ICP-MS. These results suggest that MICAP-MS is a promising alternative to ICP-MS for the analysis of heavy metals in the soil. KW - Soil KW - Microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) KW - Nitrogen plasma KW - Multi-element analysis PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-561048 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d2ja00244b SN - 0267-9477 VL - 37 IS - 12 SP - 2556 EP - 2562 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-56104 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Roik, Janina A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique A1 - You, Zengchao T1 - Investigation of matrix effects in nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric-pressure plasma mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) for trace element analysis in steels N2 - We investigated the performance of nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric-pressure plasma mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) under matrix effects and its applicability to trace element analysis in steels. Influences of different gas flows and ion optics on the matrix tolerance are studied, indicating that nebulizer gas flow has the most significant impact. Optimization of ion optics improves matrix tolerance for light elements due to the reduction of the inelastic collisional scattering effect. With optimized operating conditions, MICAP-MS achieves an internal standard intensity recovery of over 90% at an Fe concentration of 500 mg L−1. Even at an Fe concentration of 1 g L−1, the recovery remains above 80%. Three certified reference materials – non-alloy, low-alloy and high-alloy steel – were analyzed using MICAP-MS. The determined mass concentrations of the trace and minor components show metrological compatibility to the reference values. No significant differences are observed between the results obtained with aqueous and matrix-matched calibration, demonstrating the strong matrix tolerance of MICAP-MS, and its promising applicability to steel analysis. KW - MICAP-MS KW - Trace Analysis KW - Steel PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-576323 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ja00088e SN - 0267-9477 VL - 38 IS - 6 SP - 1253 EP - 1260 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-57632 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Nowak, S. A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Riedel, Jens A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - High-Resolution Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Combined With Machine Learning Data Processing for Isotope Amount Ratio Analysis of Lithium N2 - An alternative method for lithium isotope amount ratio analysis based on a combination of high-resolution atomic absorption spectrometry and spectral data analysis by machine learning (ML) is proposed herein. It is based on the well-known isotope shift of approximately 15 pm for the electronic transition 22P←22S at around the wavelength of 670.8 nm, which can be measured by the state-of-the-art high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. For isotope amount ratio analysis, a scalable tree boosting ML algorithm (XGBoost) was employed and calibrated using a set of samples with 6Li isotope amount fractions, ranging from 0.06 to 0.99 mol mol–1, previously determined by a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). The calibration ML model was validated with two certified reference materials (LSVEC and IRMM-016). The procedure was applied toward the isotope amount ratio determination of a set of stock chemicals (Li2CO3, LiNO3, LiCl, and LiOH) and a BAM candidate reference material NMC111 (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2), a Li-battery cathode material. The results of these determinations were compared with those obtained by MC-ICP-MS and found to be metrologically comparable and compatible. The residual bias was −1.8‰, and the precision obtained ranged from 1.9 to 6.2‰. This precision was sufficient to resolve naturally occurring variations, as demonstrated for samples ranging from approximately −3 to +15‰. To assess its suitability to technical applications, the NMC111 cathode candidate reference material was analyzed using high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry with and without matrix purification. The results obtained were metrologically compatible with each other. KW - Lithium KW - Isotope KW - Machine learning KW - Algorithms KW - Reference material KW - AAS KW - Atomic Absorption Spectrometry PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00206 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 93 IS - 29 SP - 10022 EP - 10030 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC, USA AN - OPUS4-53028 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander A1 - Morcillo Garcia-Morato, Dalia A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Riedel, Jens A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Determination of lithium in human serum by isotope dilution atomic absorption spectrometry N2 - The therapeutic dose of lithium (Li) compounds, which are widely used for the treatment of psychiatric and hematologic disorders, is close to its toxic level; therefore, drug monitoring protocols are mandatory. Herein, we propose a fast, simple, and low-cost analytical procedure for the traceable determination of Li concentration in human serum, based on the monitoring of the Li isotope dilution through the partially resolved isotope shift in its electronic transition around 670.80 nm using a commercially available high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. With this technique, serum samples only require acidic digestion before analysis. The procedure requires three measurements—an enriched 6Li spike, a mixture of a certified standard solution and spike, and a mixture of the sample and spike with a nominal 7Li/6Li ratio of 0.82. Lanthanum has been used as an internal spectral standard for wavelength correction. The spectra are described as the linear superposition of the contributions of the respective isotopes, each consisting of a spin-orbit doublet, which can be expressed as Gaussian components with constant spectral position and width and different relative intensity, reflecting the isotope ratio in the sample. Both the spectral constants and the correlation between isotope ratio and relative band intensity have been experimentally obtained using commercially available materials enriched with Li isotopes. The Li characteristic mass (mc) obtained corresponds to 0.6 pg. The procedure has been validated using five human serum certified reference materials. The results are metrologically comparable and compatible to the certified values. The measurement uncertainties are comparable to those obtained by the more complex and expensive technique, isotope dilution mass spectrometry. KW - Lithium KW - Human serum KW - Isotope dilution KW - Atomic absorption spectrometry KW - High-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-532446 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03636-6 VL - 414 IS - 1 SP - 251 EP - 256 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-53244 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rua-Ibarz, Ana A1 - Nakadi, Flávio V. A1 - Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo A1 - Bazo, Antonio A1 - Battistella, Beatrice A1 - Matiushkina, Anna A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique A1 - Resano, Martín T1 - Discrete entity analysis via microwave-induced nitrogen plasma–mass spectrometry in single-event mode N2 - In this work, single-event microwave-induced nitrogen plasma–mass spectrometry (single-event MINP-MS) was evaluated for the first time for the analysis of discrete entities such as nanoparticles, biological cells, and microplastics. Nitrogen (N2) effectively overcomes Ar-based polyatomic interferences, enabling (ultra)trace element determination of Fe and Se using their most abundant isotopes, 56Fe (91.66%) and 80Se (49.82%). Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs) ranging from 20 to 70 nm were accurately characterized, with excellent agreement with established sizing techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). A limit of detection (LoD) of 8.6 ag for Fe─equivalent to an LoDsize of 19 nm for Fe2O3─was achieved, which is significantly lower than recent values reported for high-end quadrupole-based ICP-MS. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) of 150 and 250 nm were also accurately characterized, without the N2-based plasma experiencing issues handling relatively large metallic NPs (linearity, R2 = 0.9994). Se-enriched yeast cells (SELM-1 certified reference material) were successfully analyzed via single-cell MINP-MS using external calibration based on SeNPs and a transport efficiency-independent approach. In addition, 2–3 μm polystyrene (PS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were accurately sized by monitoring 12C+, confirming the method’s suitability for handling micrometer-sized polymeric materials (microplastics). The average duration of individual events (680 ± 160 μs) suggests that the digestion of individual entities in N2-based plasmas is comparable to that in Ar-based plasmas. These results open new avenues for this instrumentation as an alternative to ICP ionization sources, also in the context of discrete entity analysis. KW - Microwave-Induced Nitrogen Plasma KW - Discrete entity analysis KW - Particle/droplet event counting KW - Comparison to SP-ICP-MS methodologies KW - Nitrogen plasma vs. argon ICP trade-offs KW - Trace elemental quantification at the single-entity level KW - Time-resolved mass spectrometry for discrete entities PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-643825 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c04341 SN - 0003-2700 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-64382 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Richter, Silke A1 - Hoppe, Marion A1 - Meckelburg, Angela A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Roik, Janina A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Powering precision: development of a certified reference material for elemental composition analysis of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (Li-NMC) cathode material for lithium-ion batteries N2 - This work presents the development and certification of the world’s first certified reference material (CRM), BAM-S014, for a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNi0.33Mn0.33Co0.33O2 or Li-NMC 111) cathode material—an integral component in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), portable electronics, and stationary energy storage systems. By providing certified mass fractions for 11 elements, this CRM addresses a critical need for accurate and traceable elemental analysis, supporting quality control and regulatory compliance in the global battery industry. Ensuring reliable and harmonized measurements supports the efficient use of resources, including the reuse of recycled materials, and ultimately helps maintain product performance and safety. The values were assigned through an interlaboratory comparison involving 16 participating laboratories and various analytical techniques such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry, and combustion analysis. In addition to chemical characterization, the certification process includes homogeneity and stability testing of the candidate material. Details are provided on the analytical methods used for chemical characterization and the calculation of the uncertainties of the certified mass fractions. In addition to detailing the development of the CRMs, this work provides an overview of ongoing standardization activities in Li-component analysis, thereby guiding the calibration of analytical methods and contributing to the establishment of globally accepted standards for evaluating energy storage materials and advancing sustainable mobility and clean energy solutions. KW - Certified reference material KW - Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide KW - LNMC KW - Lithium-ion battery KW - Cathode material PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-643763 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-025-05766-7 SN - 1618-2642 VL - 417 IS - 12 SP - 2643 EP - 2653 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-64376 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Obenlüneschloß, Jorit A1 - Boysen, Nils A1 - Rönnby, Karl A1 - Muriqi, Arbresha A1 - Hoffmann, Volker A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique A1 - Rogalla, Detlef A1 - Brokmann, Ulrike A1 - Rädlein, Edda A1 - Nolan, Michael A1 - Devi, Anjana T1 - Ein seltener mononuklearer Lithium‐Carben‐Komplex für die Atomlagenabscheidung von lithiumhaltigen Dünnschichten N2 - KurzfassungLithium ist das zentrale Element moderner Batterietechnologien, und die Herstellung von lithiumhaltigen Materialien mittels Atomlagenabscheidung (engl. Atomic Layer Deposition, ALD) bietet erhebliche Vorteile bei der Kontrolle der Schichtdicke und ‐zusammensetzung. In dieser Studie wird ein neuer mononuklearer, durch ein N‐heterocyclisches Carben (NHC) stabilisierter Lithiumkomplex, [Li(tBuNHC)(hmds)], als vielversprechender Präkursor für die ALD von lithiumhaltigen Dünnschichten vorgestellt. Die strukturelle Charakterisierung erfolgt durch den Vergleich von Dichtefunktionaltheorie (DFT) und Einkristall‐Röntgenbeugung (engl. Single‐Crystal X‐ray Diffraction, SC‐XRD), wobei die seltene mononukleare Struktur bestätigt wird. Thermogravimetrische Analysen (TGA) zeigen vorteilhafte thermische Eigenschaften für ALD‐Anwendungen. Die Verbindung weist einen niedrigen Schmelzpunkt, saubere Verdampfung und ermutigende Volatilitätsparameter im Vergleich zu anderen Lithium‐Präkursoren auf. ALD‐Experimente mit [Li(tBuNHC)(hmds)] und Ozon zeigen dessen Effektivität bei der Abscheidung von LiSixOy‐Filmen. Der ALD‐Prozess zeigt ein gesättigtes Wachstum pro Zyklus (engl. Growth per Cycle, GPC) von 0,95 Å. Die Zusammensetzung, analysiert mittels Rutherford‐Rückstreu‐Spektrometrie/Kernreaktionsanalyse (engl. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry/Nuclear Reaction Analysis, RBS/NRA), Röntgenphotoelektronenspektroskopie (engl. X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, XPS) und Glimmentladungsspektroskopie (engl. Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometry, GD‐OES), bestätigt das Vorhandensein von Lithium und Silizium in den erwarteten Verhältnissen. Diese Arbeit stellt nicht nur einen neuen ALD‐Präkursor vor, sondern trägt auch zum Verständnis der Lithiumchemie bei und bietet Einblicke in die faszinierende Koordinationschemie und das thermische Verhalten von durch NHC‐Liganden stabilisierten Lithiumkomplexen. KW - Atomlagenabscheidung KW - N-heterozyklischer-Carben-(NHC)-stabilisierter Lithium-Präkursor KW - Mononuklearer Li–Carben-Komplex KW - Lithiumsilicat-Dünnfilme KW - Filmanalytik/-Charakterisierung PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-644045 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202513066 SN - 0044-8249 N1 - Es gibt eine parallele Sprachausgabe (englisch), ein Link befindet sich im Feld zugehöriger Identifikator - There is a parallel language edition (English), a link is in the field related identifier SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-64404 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Obenlüneschloß, Jorit A1 - Boysen, Nils A1 - Rönnby, Karl A1 - Muriqi, Arbresha A1 - Hoffmann, Volker A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique A1 - Rogalla, Detlef A1 - Brokmann, Ulrike A1 - Rädlein, Edda A1 - Nolan, Michael A1 - Devi, Anjana T1 - Rare Mononuclear Lithium-Carbene Complex for Atomic Layer Deposition of Lithium Containing Thin Films N2 - Lithium is the core material of modern battery technologies and fabricating the lithium‐containing materials with atomic layer deposition (ALD) confers significant benefits in control of film composition and thickness. In this work, a new mononuclear N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) stabilized lithium complex, [Li(tBuNHC)(hmds)], is introduced as a promising precursor for ALD of lithium‐containing thin films. Structural characterization is performed, comparing density functional theory (DFT) and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SC‐XRD), confirming a rare mononuclear structure. Favorable thermal properties for ALD applications are evidenced by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The compound exhibits a low melting point, clean evaporation, and its volatility parameters are encouraging compared to other lithium precursors. ALD trials using [Li(tBuNHC)(hmds)] with ozone demonstrate its effectiveness in depositing LiSixOy films. The ALD process exhibits a saturated growth per cycle (GPC) of 0.95 Å. Compositional analysis using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry/nuclear reaction analysis (RBS/NRA), X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD‐OES), confirms the presence of lithium and silicon in the expected ratios. This work not only presents a new ALD precursor but also contributes to the understanding of lithium chemistry, offering insights into the intriguing coordination chemistry and thermal behavior of lithium complexes stabilized by NHC ligands. KW - Atomic layer deposition (ALD) KW - N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands KW - Lithium ALD precursor chemistry KW - Mononuclear Li–carbene complex [Li(tBuNHC)(hmds)] KW - Li-silicate thin films (LiSixOy) KW - Thermal properties & TGA/volatility KW - Compositional analysis (RBS/NRA, XPS, GD-OES) PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-643790 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202513066 SN - 1433-7851 N1 - Es gibt eine parallele Sprachausgabe (deutsch), ein Link befindet sich im Feld zugehöriger Identifikator - There is a parallel language edition (German), a link is in the field related identifier SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-64379 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -