Publication details
Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Metallic Samples
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has been widely used in modern analytical chemistry because it offers a series of advantages such as fast response, applicability to any type of sample, practically no sample preparation, remote sensing capability and speed of analysis. From an analytical point of view and in comparison with other analytical methods (LA-ICP-MS and LA-ICP-OES) a moderate disadvantage of this technique is its quantitative analysis, thus improvement of LOD (Limit of detection) is one of the most important issues. Recent and the least explored method for this improvement is Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser- Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NELIBS). A number of studies concerning enhancement of LIBS analytical signal employing nanoparticles (NPs) do not still satisfactorily describe the dynamics and processes responsible for this enhancement. Innovative concepts in this field reflect pioneering papers of Ohta, De Giacomo and El Sherbini. Metallic samples may content many additives in different concentrations (trace elements) and their low concentrations are often under LOD of LIBS technique. Optically active nanoparticles may be utilized in order to improve the sensitivity of LIBS on metals analysis without any need for changing the classical set-up but manipulating with the sample preparation. Application of NPs at the sample surface is simply possible by dropping of their suspension. We picked out different kind of nanoparticles (gold and silver) in distinct sizes and we diluted them in few various concentrations. These drops of different NPs solutions (10 ul) were applied on metallic samples and after their drying (2 hours under ambient conditions) were analyzed with 10x10 consecutive laser pulses. Obtained spatially resolved maps clearly demonstrated that intensity of trace elements is improved in the region of a droplet containing NPs. In this study we also assessed characteristics of plasma, such as plasma temperature and electron density. |
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