Mass Spectrometry
LA-ICP-MS/MS
The Cornell Mass Spectrometry (CMaS) Facility houses an Agilent 8900 ICP-MS/MS and ESI NWR 193HE laser. This coupled instrumentation has unique capabilities: the high energy laser can routinely ablate even the most resilient matrices at fluences >50 J/cm^2 while the ICP-MS/MS provides high accuracy data with low backgrounds and mass interference offset through use of an internal collision-reaction cell. See the CMaS website for more information.
Lab Manager: Lyndsey Fisher; PIs: Esteban Gazel and Megan Holycross
Agilent 7900 ICP-MS
An Agilent 7900 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) is used to analyze the trace element contents of solutions. The Agilent 7900 ICP-MS is a flexible single quadrupole ICP mass spectrometer that provides excellent matrix tolerance with low detection limits and wide dynamic range. The Agilent 7900 is equipped with a 1260 Infinity II liquid chromatography system and autosampler.
PIs: Mathew Reid (CEE) and Esteban Gazel
Finnigan Element 2 ICP-MS
A Finnigan Element 2 High Resolution ICP-MS is used for elemental and isotopic analyses. The Element 2 is a two-stage sector field ICP-MS, capable of mass resolution up to 10,000 by changing the width of the entrance slit to the magnetic sector. Analytical sensitivity is a complex function of mass, inlet system used, and matrix, but we routinely achieve > 1 MHz per ppb at 115-Indium using a microncentric nebulizer at 100 μL/min sample flow rate. Available interfaces for the ICP include quartz and Teflon spray chambers, microconcentric and Scott cyclonic nebulizers, and an Apex desolvating high efficiency inlet system (Elemental Scientific). Germanium, arsenic and antimony analysis is carried out using a custom hydride generation system with online mixing of sample, acid buffer, and sodium borohydride as the reductant. Gas-liquid separation is achieved with a PFA membrane. We routinely measure samples in the 10-100 ppt range. The magnetic sector instrument yields flat top peaks making it well-suited for isotope dilution analysis, which we employ routinely for some elements like Ge, some REE and Ga. The E2 is equipped with an Elemental Scientific SC-FAST autosampler system. The SC-FAST system uses a sample injection loop and a 6-port valve system to speed up sample throughput considerably. Rinse-out and analysis are done essentially simultaneously, and sample uptake to the loop is rapid. Overall this allows for high sample throughput.
Lab manager: Lyndsey Fisher, PI: Louis Derry.
ICP-OES
The Ametek SpectroBlue SpectroBlue is a radial ICP Optical Emission Spectrometer which is well suited for measuring major, minor and many trace elements in a wide variety of matrices. The ICP-OES is an important complement to the ICP-MS, making it easier to cover the full range of elemental abundances in biological and geological materials. The SpectroBlue is quite stable, and can use wavelengths down to 160 nm, providing excellent sensitivity for some elements like Al and P in the UV part of the spectrum. More information.
Lab manager: Lyndsey Fisher, PI: Louis Derry.
