Optimization of plasma sampling depth and aerosol gas flow rates for single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis.

We performed experiments to assess the separate and also the combined effect of the sampling depth and the aerosol gas flow rates on the signal formation in single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) measurements by using dispersions containing Ag and Au NPs. It was found that the NP signal can significantly be improved by the optimization of the sampling depth. With respect to the "robust" setting, a signal improvement of nearly 100% could be achieved, which translates into a 25-30% improvement in size detection limits. It was also found that the shape of the spICP-MS signal histograms also change with the change of the plasma sampling depth. It was demonstrated that nanoparticle peak separation can also be significantly enhanced by using sampling depth optimization. The effect of the aerosol dilution gas flow, now standard in most ICP-MS instruments, on the spICP-MS signal formation was also studied for the first time in the literature, as this flow was hoped to make spICP-MS measurements more practical and faster via the on-line dilution of the aerosol generated from nano-dispersions. Our experimental results revealed that the dilution gas flow can only be used for a moderate aerosol dilution in spICP-MS measurements, if the gas flow going to the pneumatic nebulizer is proportionally lowered at the same time. This however was found to cause a significant worsening in the operation of the sample introduction system, which gives rise to a strong NP signal loss. Thus it was concluded that the use of the aerosol dilution gas flow, in its present form, can not be suggested for spICP-MS analysis.