TY - JOUR A1 - Rosenkranz, D. A1 - Kriegel, F. L. A1 - Mavrakis, E. A1 - Pergantis, S. A. A1 - Reichardt, P. A1 - Tentschert, J. A1 - Jakubowski, N. A1 - Laux, P. A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Luch, A. T1 - Versatile dual-inlet sample introduction system for multi-mode single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry N2 - Metal-containing nanoparticles (NP) can be characterized with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers (ICP-MS) in terms of their size and number concentration by using the single-particle mode of the instrument (spICP-MS). The accuracy of measurement depends on the setup, operational conditions of the instrument and specific parameters that are set by the user. The transport efficiency of the ICP-MS is crucial for the quantification of the NP and usually requires a reference material with homogenous size distribution and a known particle number concentration. Currently, NP reference materials are available for only a few metals and in limited sizes. If particles are characterized without a reference standard, the results of both size and particle number may be biased. Therefore, a dual-inlet Setup for characterizing nanoparticles with spICP-MS was developed to overcome this problem. This setup is based on a conventional introduction system consisting of a pneumatic nebulizer (PN) for nanoparticle solutions and a microdroplet Generator (μDG) for ionic calibration solutions. A new and flexible interface was developed to facilitate the coupling of μDG, PN and the ICP-MS system. The interface consists of available laboratory components and allows for the calibration, nanoparticle (NP) characterization and cleaning of the arrangement, while the ICP-MS instrument is still running. Three independent analysis modes are available for determining particle size and number concentration. Each mode is based on a different calibration principle. While mode I (counting) and mode III (μDG) are known from the literature, mode II (sensitivity), is used to determine the transport efficiency by inorganic ionic Standard solutions only. It is independent of NP reference materials. The μDG based inlet system described here guarantees superior analyte sensitivities and, therefore, lower detection limits (LOD). The size dependent LODs achieved are less than 15 nm for all NP (Au, Ag, CeO2) investigated. KW - Spectrometer KW - Reference KW - Calibration PY - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-536121 SN - 1940-087X IS - 163 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - MyJoVE Corporation CY - Cambridge, MA, USA AN - OPUS4-53612 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Benita A1 - Pergantis, S. A. A1 - Esteban-Fernández, Diego A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Günther, D. T1 - Investigation of a combined microdroplet generator and pneumatic nebulization system for rapid quantitative determination of metal-containing nanoparticles using ICP-MS N2 - In this work, a routinely applicable approach is presented to characterize metal NPs. Individual droplets generated from a microdroplet generator (MDG) were merged into an aerosol generated by a pneumatic nebulizer (PN) and introduced into an ICPMS. The MDG offers high transport efficiency of individual and discrete droplets and was therefore used to establish a calibration function for mass quantification of NPs which were introduced through the PN following the single particle procedure as described elsewhere. The major advantages of such a combined configuration include fast processing of large sample volumes, fast exchanges of different sample matrixes, and the calibration of the NP signal using traceable elemental standards, thus avoiding the need to use NP reference materials or other, not always thoroughly characterized, commercially available NPs. The transport efficiency of the sample introduction is calculated based on the fact that 100% of the calibrant reaches the plasma through the MDG, whereas for the PN a NP suspension containing a known number concentration is used. Alternatively, bulk analysis of the NP material allows transport efficiency determination without any additional information from reference NPs. With this method, we could determine the size of standard silver NPs at 60.4 ± 1.0 nm and 80.0 ± 1.4 nm, respectively, which agrees with the size ranges given by the supplier (60.8 ± 6.6 nm and 79.8 ± 5.4 nm). Furthermore, we were also able to determine the NPs number concentration of the sample (Ag/Au) with a deviation of 3.2% the expected value. KW - Nanoparticles KW - ICP-MS KW - Microdroplet generator PY - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5b01604 SN - 0003-2700 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 87 IS - 17 SP - 8687 EP - 8694 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-34803 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rosenkranz, Daniel A1 - Kriegel, F. L. A1 - Mavrakis, E. A1 - Pergantis, S. A. A1 - Reichardt, Ph. A1 - Tentschert, J. A1 - Jakubowski, Norbert A1 - Laux, P. A1 - Panne, Ulrich T1 - Improved validation for single particle ICP-MS analysis using a pneumatic nebulizer / microdroplet generator sample introduction system for multi-mode nanoparticle determination N2 - This study reports on the development of a single-particle (sp) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique suitable for the multi-mode determination of nanoparticle (NP) metal mass fraction and number concentration. The described technique, which is based on a dual inlet System consisting of a pneumatic nebulizer (PN) and a microdroplet generator (MDG), allows for the sequential introduction of ionic metal calibrant solutions and nanoparticle suspensions via all combinations of the two inlets; thus allowing for a combination of three independent modes of analysis. A novel interface, assembled using standard analytical components (a demountable quartz ICP-MS torch, flexible nonconducting silicon tubing and various connectors), was used to interface the dual inlet system to an ICP-MS. The interface provided improved functionality, compared to a previous design. It is now possible to conveniently exchange and introduce standard solutions and samples via all inlet combinations, analyze them, and also wash the sample inlet systems while the whole setup is still connected to an operating ICP-MS. This setup provided seamless and robust operation in a total of three analysis modes, i.e. three ways to independently determine the metal mass fraction and NP number concentration. All three analyses modes could be carried out within a single analytical run lasting approximately 20 min. The unique feature of the described approach is that each analysis mode is based on a different. KW - Nanomaterials KW - Nanoparticles KW - Single particle ICP-MS KW - Microdroplet generator PY - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2019.11.043 VL - 1099 SP - 16 EP - 25 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-50361 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -