ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Copper determination using ICP-MS with hexapole collision cell

Vladislav Chrastný and Michael Komárek

Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemistry Teaching, University of South Bohemia, Studentská 13, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic

E-mail: vladislavchrastny@seznam.cz

Received: 21 November 2008  Revised: 18 January 2009  Accepted: 26 January 2009

Abstract: Determination of copper using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) suffers from polyatomic overlays originating from Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ matrix elements due to the formation of ⁴⁰Ar²³Na⁺ and ⁴⁰Ar²⁵Mg⁺ in the mass-to-charge ratios of 63 and 65, respectively. The collision/reaction cell technology belongs to the most modern methods used to overcome polyatomic interferences. Gas-filled collision/reaction cell can cause an additional mass bias effect influencing analytical precision of the method. In this study, the additional mass bias effect of the hexapole collision/reaction cell ICP-MS was studied on an example of n(⁶⁵Cu)/n(⁶³Cu) isotope ratio. As a result, a method for suppressing polyatomic interference on the mass-to-charge ratio of 63 and 65 was introduced and additional mass bias of the collision/reaction cell was lowered to an acceptable level.

Keywords: ICP-MS - hexapole collision/reaction cell - additional mass bias -  n(⁶⁵Cu)/n(⁶³Cu) isotope ratio - polyatomic interferences

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-009-0057-z

Chemical Papers 63 (5) 512–519 (2009)