Investigation of Fundamental Processes in Analytical Plasmasfor Atomic Spectrometry

该项目属于分析和表面化学计划，将支持对通过电感耦合等离子体光学发射和质谱法控制多元素分析的灵敏度、精度和准确性的过程进行基础研究。将研究样品气溶胶的脱溶、粒子汽化、分析物的电离以及原子和离子的激发；然而，研究的重点将是等离子体-样品的相互作用。样品气溶胶特性、等离子体中的原子和离子浓度、激发和电离的测量将进行系统的尝试，分别研究等离子体中信号产生的复杂机制。这个项目涉及对控制等离子体中原子和离子产生分析有用信号的因素的基本研究。目标是提高多元素分析能力，用于分析地质、环境、生物、材料和农业样品。

This project, in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, will support a fundamental investigation of the processes that control the sensitivity, precision and accuracy of multielement analysis via inductively coupled plasma optical emission and mass spectrometry. Desolvation of sample aerosols, particle vaporization, analyte ionization and excitation of atoms and ions will all be studied; however, the particular focus of the investigation will be plasma-sample interactions. Measurements of sample aerosol characteristics, atom and ion concentrations in the plasma, excitation and ionization will be carried out in a systematic attempt to separately investigate the complex mechanisms of signal generation in a plasma. %%% This project involves a basic investigation of the factors controlling the generation of analytically useful signals from atoms and ions in a plasma. The goal is to improve multielement analytical capabilities for the analysis of geological, environmental, biological, material, and agricultural samples.