Implementation of Online Preconcentration and Microsecond Time Resolution to Capillary Electrophoresis Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (CE-SP-ICP-MS) and Its Application in Silver Nanoparticle Analysis.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to single particle inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) was used for the first time with a prototype data acquisition (μsDAQ) system that features 5 μs time resolution (100% duty cycle) to separate and quantify mixtures of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Additionally, an online preconcentration technique, reversed electrode polarity stacking mode (REPSM), was applied for Ag NPs analysis with CE-SP-ICP-MS for the first time. After optimization, best results were achieved using a injection time of 110 s and a constant pressure of 50 mbar in hydrodynamic injection mode. It was possible to detect 14.3 ± 1.5× more 20 nm sized, 21.0 ± 4.2× more 40 nm sized, and 27.7 ± 4.9× more 60 nm sized Ag NPs compared to the standard injection time of only 3 s. The effect of applied voltage on the NPs separation was studied, and a CE separation at 20 kV was found to be optimal for the present setup. The capability of CE-SP-ICP-MS for quantification of particle number concentration was investigated, and detection limits in the submicrogram-per-liter range were achieved. The possibility to separate 20, 40, and 60 nm sized Ag NPs simultaneously present in a mixture was demonstrated over a broad concentration range.