Nanoparticle Analysis in Biomaterials Using Laser Ablation−Single Particle−Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

In the past decade, the development of single particle–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICPMS) has revolutionized the field of nanometallomics. Besides differentiation between dissolved and particulate metal signals, SP-ICPMS can quantify the nanoparticle (NP) number concentration and size. Because SP-ICPMS is limited to characterization of NPs in solution, we show how solid sampling by laser ablation (LA) adds spatial-resolution characteristics for localized NP analysis in biomaterials. Using custom-made gelatin standards doped with dissolved gold and commercial or synthesized gold nanoparticles, LA-SP-ICPMS conditions such as laser fluence, beam size, and dwell time were optimized for NP analysis to minimize NP degradation, peak overlap, and interferences from dissolved gold. A data-processing algorithm to retrieve the NP number concentration and size was developed for this purpose. As a proof-of-concept, a sunflower-root-sample cross-section, originating from a sunflower plant exposed to gold NPs, was successfully imaged using the optimized LA-SP-ICPMS conditions for localized NP characterization.

Guidelines for the characterization of metal halide nanocrystals

“…Unfortunately, in addition to not being easily accessible, RBS also necessitates strict technical requirements to perform the data acquisition and elaborate sample preparation [28]. The current tendency is, therefore, to move towards analytical techniques based on more affordable instrumentation and requiring less strict conditions (i.e., high vacuum) than SEM-EDS, such as: (i) laser ablation-ICP-mass spectrometry, which overcomes the problems connected with the sample preparation for ICP in solution (i.e., the loss of halides in the form of gaseous HX) [29]; and (ii) total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy [14].…”

Rapid Determination of Uranium Isotopic Abundance from Cotton Swipes: Direct Extraction via a Planar Surface Reader and Coupling to a Microplasma Ionization Source

“…The ability to obtain pointby-point elemental and isotopic maps of virtually any material is applicable to diverse areas, ranging from geology 13,14 to electronic materials 15,16 and neurobiology. 17 attractive use of LA sampling is in the analysis of discrete particles, such as found on filters of various form; i.e., single particle analysis in biological 19,20 and nuclear safeguard samples. 12,21,22 While spatial mapping is one of the inherent advantages of LA-based methods, the ability to find species of interest in a surface can prove challenging.…”

“…LA involves the focusing of a pulsed laser onto the solid sample surface, forming a plasma which subsequentially removes a small portion of the material present. , This plasma can be optically characterized for elemental analysis via laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), − or the ablated particles can be sent into an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) − for elemental and isotopic analysis. The ability to obtain point-by-point elemental and isotopic maps of virtually any material is applicable to diverse areas, ranging from geology , to electronic materials , and neurobiology. , One particularly attractive use of LA sampling is in the analysis of discrete particles, such as found on filters of various form; i.e., single particle analysis in biological , and nuclear safeguard samples. ,, …”

Quantitative Imaging of Silver Nanoparticles and Essential Elements in Thin Sections of Fibroblast Multicellular Spheroids by High Resolution Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

“…Therefore, this could lead to underestimation of the number of particles in areas with low NP concentrations. Taking this into consideration, the accuracy we realized in this experiment is quite good and can be improved with a TOF instrument with a higher sensitivity or with a new measurement strategy by using single particle (sp) LA-ICP-MS which was applied in the work of Metarapi et al 37 In that paper, the authors showed that NPs are ablated intact and can be detected time-resolved with integration times of 100 μs so that even the particle size can be calculated from the histograms achieved. This would be a nice tool to demonstrate if particles are dissolved in the biological system.…”