Laser induced breakdown spectrometry of vanadium in titania supported silica catalysts

The capability of laser induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) for vanadium determination in a xV-2TiO(2)-SiO(2) catalyst is presented. The microplasma was generated onto the sample surface using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating in the second harmonic (532 nm). Laser produced plasmas were collected and detected using a charge-coupled device (CCD). In order to minimize the complex spectral interferences of emission lines and matrix effects a wide spectral range (210-660 nm) was studied. The focusing of the laser beam on the surface was optimized to improve the signal-to-background ratio, and consequently the limit of detection. The analytical lines selected were used to evaluate the calibration curve. The detection limit for V was estimated to be 38 mug g(-1) in 2TiO(2)-SiO(2). The method precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) was better than 6% in the concentration range 200-1000 mug g(-1).