Overview
Français
ABSTRACT
At this time, there is no doubt concerning the interest of the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Indeed, this type of equipment, due to, amongst others, its ease of implementation, limited number of chemical and spectral interferences and the qualities of its source, has become widely used in the laboratory, even though it does not offer very low detection limits to date. Apparatus notably include the quadrupole filter, magnetic and electrostatic sectors, the time-of-flight spectrometer, etc. Their operating principles and analytical performance are detailed in this article.
Read this article from a comprehensive knowledge base, updated and supplemented with articles reviewed by scientific committees.
Read the articleAUTHORS
-
Hugues PAUCOT: Doctor of Science - UT2A – Ultra Traces Analyses Aquitaine, Pau
-
Martine POTIN-GAUTIER: Professor – Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour - CNRS, LCABIE, IPREM UMR 5254, Pau
INTRODUCTION
Introduced commercially in 1983, ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry), an elemental quantification technique based on the mass spectrometric analysis of ions generated by an inductively coupled plasma, is now an integral part of many laboratories' analytical equipment. In addition to providing detection limits of the order of ng/L in dissolved phase and μg/kg in solid phase, this analytical technique is also the only one in atomic spectrometry capable of providing isotopic information.
While the ionization of elements is always based on the introduction of the sample into a noble gas plasma, i.e. an ionized but overall electrically neutral gas characterized by the presence of free electrons, various types of mass spectrometer can be used. These currently include the quadrupole filter, magnetic and electrostatic sectors, time-of-flight and, much more rarely, the ion trap.
The various operating principles, analytical performance and market status are described in this article.
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
This article is included in
Analysis and Characterization
This offer includes:
Knowledge Base
Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees
Services
A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources
Practical Path
Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills
Doc & Quiz
Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading
ICP-MS: inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry
The benefits of ICP-MS coupling
Bibliography
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
