Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique for quantitative analysis of aqueous solution using matrix conversion based on plant fiber spunlaced nonwovens.

Abstract

In the present work, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied to detect concentrations of chromium and nickel in aqueous solution in the form of matrix conversion using plant fiber spunlaced nonwovens as a solid-phase support, which can effectively avoid the inherent difficulties such as splashing, a quenching effect, and a shorter plasma lifetime during the liquid LIBS analysis. Drops of the sample solution were transferred to the plant fiber spunlaced nonwovens surface and uniformly diffused from the center to the whole area of the substrate. Owing to good hydrophilicity, the plant fiber spunlaced nonwovens can hold more of the liquid sample, and the surface of this material never wrinkles after being dried in a drying oven, which can effectively reduce the deviation during the LIBS analysis. In addition, the plant fiber spunlaced nonwovens used in the present work are relatively convenient and low cost. Also, the procedure of analysis was simple and fast, which are the unique features of LIBS technology. Therefore, this method has potential applications for practical and in situ analyses. To achieve sensitive elemental detection, the optimal delay time in this experiment was investigated. Under the optimized condition, the limits of detection for Cr and Ni are 0.7 and 5.7 μg·mL(-1), respectively. The results obtained in the present study show that the matrix conversion method is a feasible option for analyzing heavy metals in aqueous solutions by LIBS technology.