Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2025
05:16
UV-Vis Spectroscopic Characterization of Nanomaterials in Aqueous Media
Published on: October 25, 2021
9.9K
High-Throughput Nanoparticle Characterization via Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy Elemental Mapping
Kevin Finch1, Aldo Hernandez1, Gerardo Gamez1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1061, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|January 4, 2023
Summary
Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy elemental mapping (GDOES EM) offers a rapid method for nanoparticle characterization. This technique successfully differentiates nanoparticle sizes and reveals internal structures, overcoming limitations of traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nanoparticle (NP) characterization is crucial for diverse applications.
- Existing techniques face limitations in sample throughput, elemental composition, and spatial distribution analysis.
- Elemental mapping (EM) techniques are particularly hindered by low throughput for NP spatial distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES) EM for nanoparticle characterization.
- To evaluate GDOES EM for determining NP mass, elemental composition, and size/structure dimensions.
- To optimize GDOES EM parameters for enhanced sensitivity and differentiation capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Utilized GDOES EM for large-area mapping of nanoparticles on solid samples.
- Investigated the influence of pulsed power, pressure, and sample substrate on GDOES EM performance.
- Analyzed optical emission changes over time to identify internal NP dimensions.
Main Results:
- Achieved limits of detection at the picogram (pg) level under optimized conditions.
- Successfully differentiated nanoparticle sizes (5-100 nm) for Silver (Ag) and Gold (Au) nanoparticles.
- Identified internal dimensions of core-shell nanoparticles by analyzing time-resolved optical emission.
Conclusions:
- GDOES EM provides a cost-effective and rapid method for nanoparticle characterization.
- The technique enables determination of elemental composition, size differentiation, and structural analysis of NPs.
- Optimized GDOES EM offers significant advantages over traditional characterization methods for specific applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab
221
AES is a powerful analytical technique, especially effective when used with plasma sources, producing abundant spectra in characteristic emission lines. The Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), in particular, yields superior quantitative analytical data due to its high stability, low noise, low background, and minimal interferences under optimal experimental conditions. However, newer air-operated microwave sources are emerging as promising alternatives that could be more cost-effective than...
221
01:20Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Overview
2.4K
Atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) is an analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of a sample by analyzing the light emitted from excited atoms. In AES, atoms in a sample are excited to higher energy levels by thermal energy from high-temperature sources, such as plasma, arcs, or sparks. When these excited atoms return to lower energy states, they emit light at specific wavelengths characteristic of each element. The resulting atomic emission spectrum, which consists of...
2.4K
01:22Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
556
The instrumentation of atomic emission spectrometry (AES) involves various components, including atomization devices that convert samples into gas-phase atoms and ions. There are two main types of atomization devices: continuous and discrete atomizers. Continuous atomizers, like plasmas and flames, introduce samples in a constant stream, while discrete atomizers inject individual samples using syringes or autosamplers. The most common discrete atomizer is the electrothermal atomizer.
556
01:26Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
270
Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is the common plasma source used in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), a technique that detects and analyzes various elements in a sample. This method is often called inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used....
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used....
270
01:23Atomic Spectroscopy: Absorption, Emission, and Fluorescence
1.2K
Atomic spectroscopy is a vital tool in elemental analysis, both qualitatively and quantitatively. It can be broadly divided into optical spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and X-ray spectroscopy methods. The optical spectroscopic methods are atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), and atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (AFS). The first step in all three methods is atomization, where the solid, liquid, or solution-phase samples are converted into gas-phase atoms and...
1.2K
01:02Flame Photometry: Overview
726
Flame photometry, also known as flame emission spectrometry, is a technique used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of elements present in a sample using a flame as the source of excitation energy. The concept of flame photometry was realized in the early 1860s by Kirchhoff and Bunsen, who discovered that specific elements emit characteristic radiation when excited in flames. The first instrument developed for this purpose was used to measure sodium (Na) in plant ash using a Bunsen...
726