Size and elemental composition of nanoparticles using ion mobility spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract

The combined use of nanoelectrospray ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) with off-line inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for determining engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous solution is demonstrated here for the first time. The resulting analytical technique exhibits capabilities for determining the size and metal content of NPs and can also in principle be used for determining NP concentration. The resolving power exhibited by IMS along with the high sensitivity offered by single particle mode ICP-MS are the main features that make this combination attractive for analysing NPs.