Argentometric chloride determination by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy in a wide range of sample matrices.

Chloride determination is of great importance, as chloride plays important roles in human health, pitting corrosion, environmental processes, and agriculture. However, chloride determination by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), one of the premier techniques used for elemental analysis, is currently limited to specific instrument types or requires the use of additional equipment. This work presents an argentometric method for the indirect measurement of chloride, applicable to any ICP-OES instrument.

Mixed-Ligand gold nanoparticles based optical sensor array for the recognition and quantification of seven toxic metals.

Sensor arrays use pattern recognition for the identification and quantification of analytes. In the presented work, a gold nanoparticle (GNP) based optical sensor array was employed to classify and quantify seven toxic metals (arsenic, barium, cadmium, cerium, chromium, lead, and mercury). The sensor array receptors were GNPs functionalized by mercaptoundecanoic acid, 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate, and a 1:1 mixture of the two ligands.

A simple strategy for enhanced production of nanoparticles by laser ablation in liquids.

Upgrading the productivity of nanoparticles (NPs), generated by pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL), still remains challenging. Here a novel variant of PLAL was developed, where a doubled frequency Nd:YAG laser beam (532 nm, ∼5 ns, 10 Hz) at different fluences and for different times was directed into a sealed vessel, toward the interface of the meniscus of ethanol with a tilted bulk metal target. Palladium, copper and silver NPs, synthesized in the performed proof of concept experiments, were mass quantified, by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and characterized by ultraviolet-visible extinction spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction.

Improving the properties of a gold nanoparticle barium sensor through mixed-ligand shells.

This work proposes an improvement of gold nanoparticle sensors using mixed-ligand shells composed of ligands with a shared affinity. As a proof of concept, two ligands, 2-Sulfanylethanesulfonate (MSA) and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA), sharing an affinity towards Ba were chosen. The two ligands were then combined in a mixed ligand shell, and the Ba sensor properties of both the mixed-ligand and mono-ligand shell nanoparticles were examined.

Rapid direct determination of tin in beverages using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence.

This article presents a new method for the simpler and faster determination of tin in beverages using EDXRF. Absorption coefficients for aqueous calibration samples were calculated and shown to be nearly identical to those of the beverage samples, thus permitting the use of aqueous standard solutions for external calibration. Beverage samples could then be measured directly using the external calibration.