Simultaneous nondestructive analysis of palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold nanoparticles using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence.

A selective method is proposed for the determination of palladium, gold, and sulfur in catalytic systems, by direct liquid analysis using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), under an atmosphere of helium or air. This method allows a nondestructive analysis of palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold nanoparticulate catalysts stabilized by imidazolium propane sulfonate based zwitterionic surfactants, allowing the samples to be reused for catalytic studies. The signals from palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold samples in the presence of imidazolium propane sulfonate-based zwitterionic surfactants obtained using EDXRF before (Pd(2+), Rh(2+), Pt(2+), and Au(3+)) and after (Pd(0), Rh(0), Pt(0), and Au(0)) formation of nanoparticles are essentially identical.