Exploring the performance of quadrupole, time-of-flight, and multi-collector ICP-MS for dual-isotope detection on single nanoparticles and cells
Analytica Chimica Acta(2023)
Abstract
To meet the demand for multi-element/isotope analysis at the single nanoparticle (NP) or cell level, different types of inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) have been used to simultaneously monitor multiple mass-to-charge ratios in single-particle/cell ICP-MS (SP/SC-ICP-MS) analysis. Systematic evaluation and comparison of the performance of these techniques are urgently required. Herein, three ICP-quadrupole (Q)-MS, two ICP-time of flight (TOF)-MS, and one multi-collector (MC)-ICP-MS instruments were employed to simulta-neously detect 107Ag and 109Ag on single Ag NPs and Ag-exposed cyanobacteria cells. The evaluation was conducted by comparing the measured event-specific 109Ag:107Ag ratios with the natural ratio. Duration of NP or cell events and time resolution in the peak hopping mode were the main factors affecting the performance of ICP-Q-MS. Under the optimal condition (100 mu s for both dwell time and settling time), less than 45% of the NP or cell events had a 109Ag:107Ag ratio deviating <30% from the natural ratio. Most events obtained via ICP-TOF-MS were paired events with both isotopes detected. For large-size NPs and cells with high exposure levels, nearly 80% of the events had a ratio deviation within +/- 30%. MC-ICP-MS performed particularly well in isotope determination with all the events having a ratio deviation within +/- 5%. For ICP-TOF-MS and MC-ICP-MS, the signal intensity of the events was the main factor affecting the accuracy of the measured 109Ag:107Ag ratios due to the counting statistics. The established methods and results provide insight on the analyses of two elements/ isotopes or more on single NPs or cells. Based on the comparison of the advantages and limitations of these instruments, this study provides a critical reference for future multi-element/isotope SP/SC-ICP-MS analyses.
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Key words
Single-particle ICP-MS,Single-cell ICP-MS,ICP-TOF-MS,Multi-element,isotope analysis,Isotope ratio
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