NanoDefine is funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement-604347
Single particle ICP-
MS for screening
of nanoparticles
NanoDefine Industry Focused
Workshop, DECHEMA, Frankfurt,
24 October 2017
Strategies for detection and characterisation of nanoparticles
Ensemble
methods
Fractionation
and separation
methods
Counting
methods
2
AF4/HDC
Detection: DLS, PTA Detection:MALS
ICP-MS
Detection:EM
spICP-MS
Dilute
Single particle ICP-MS
Single particle ICP-MS
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
0
483
966
1449
1932
2415
2898
3381
3864
4347
4830
5313
5796
6279
6762
7245
7728
8211
8694
9177
9660
scan # (ms)
resp
eo
nse
(co
un
ts)
Practical applications of spICP-MS
- Titanium dioxide in cosmetics
- Screening of nanoparticles
- Identification of agglomerates
- Multi-element analysis
A nanomaterial in cosmetics
Example
Prepare a suspension in water
Step 1
Dilute suspension 10.000 times
Step 2
Analysis with spICP-MS
Step 3
Step 3
Time scan of sample counting particles
Data processing available from the internet and
compatible with NanoDefiner e-tool
Step 4
Titanium dioxide in cosmetics and sunscreen products
Single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass
spectrometry (spICP-MS) is a rapid particle
screening tool at low concentrations.
A typical application is the screening of products and
ingredients of products on the presence of
nanomaterials. Typically a high dilution factor is
applied which also dilutes the sample matrix.
Screening of nanoparticles
Screening of nanoparticles
Example spICP-MS:
TiO2 (E171) in a chocolate product
Screening of nanoparticles
According to the EU definition of a nanomaterial,
primary particles in aggregates and agglomerates
should also be counted when determining whether a
material is a nanomaterial.
By combining spICP-MS with a size separation
method particle aggregates or agglomerates can be
identified.
Nanoparticle agglomerates
Nanoparticle agglomerates
DHDC
DspICPMS
Nanoparticle agglomerates
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
2500010.0
10.5
11.0
11.5
12.0
12.5
13.0
13.5
14.0
14.5
inte
nsi
ty (
cps)
retention time (min)
100 nm
20 nm
Nanoparticle agglomerates
• Agglomeration
experiment
• n-Au, 60 nm
• pH 2, 120 sec
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
DspIC
PM
S(n
m)
DHDC (nm)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HCP_Oranges.jpg
Nanoparticle agglomerates
An increasing number of multi-element nanoparticles
(alloy, core-shell structures) are being manufactured
nowadays.
spICP-MS with an ICP-TOF instrument provides
simultaneous detection of all isotopes making it an
ideal tool for multi-element detection and
quantification of nanoparticles in unknown or poorly
characterized samples.
Multi-element analysis
Multi-element analysis
22
Montano, vd Kammer et al. Environ. Chem. 2014, 11, 351–366
Nano cerium dioxide in surface waters
Multi-element analysis
Analysis of
nano steel
platelets
Thank you for your interest
