Data analysis for the characterization of nanoparticles with single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: From microsecond to millisecond dwell times.

Abstract

Single particle-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) has become a powerful technique for the characterization of nanoparticles (NPs). However, the accuracy of the characterization of NPs by SP-ICP-MS is greatly affected by the data acquisition rate and the way of data processing. For SP-ICP-MS analysis, ICP-MS instruments typically apply microsecond to millisecond dwell times (10 μs-10ms). Considering the duration of one nanoparticle event in the detector is 0.4-0.9ms, NPs will show different data forms when working with microsecond and millisecond dwell times. In this work, the effects of dwell times from microsecond to millisecond (50 μs, 100 μs, 1ms and 5ms) on the data forms in SP-ICP-MS analysis are discussed. The data analysis and data processing for different dwell times is discussed in detail, including the measurement of transport efficiency (TE), the distinction of signal and background, the evaluation of diameter limit of detection (LODd) and the quantification of mass, size and particle number concentration (PNC) of NPs. This work provides data support for the data processing process and aspects to be considered in the characterization of NPs by SP-ICP-MS, which is expected to provide guidance and reference for researchers in SP-ICP-MS analysis.