Atomic Spectroscopy: Beyond the ICP

There is no doubting the incredible impact of the inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) in the worlds of elemental and isotopic analysis. The ability to analyze samples of virtually any form via optical emission or mass spectrometries (OES/MS) have had revolutionary effects in application areas. Even with these successes, there are still applications and problems that that venerable ICP cannot solve; or at least are not optimal for the situation at hand.
In this symposium, leaders in the field will present analytical challenges and remedies where alternative approaches (i.e., sources) may be better suited than the use of the ICP. Rationales for using those sources might lie in the types of information that are desired, the form of the sample, the ability to use alternative detection schemes, or simply costs and simplicity. The speakers in this symposium will speak to analytical challenges that require a different set of approaches. Steven Ray from the State University of New York at Buffalo will describe new types of sources upon microwave energy and microwave plasma sources. Gerardo Gamez from Texas Tech University will present the latest developments in glow discharge spectrometry to enable fast direct-solid analysis of micro- and nanoparticles and obtain information on their composition, spatial distribution, and structural characteristics. Hunter Andrews from Oak Ridge National Laboratory will provide an overview of recent efforts in the development of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for real-time elemental measurements in complex and hazardous environments. Finally, R. Kenneth Marcus of Clemson University will describe the coupling of the liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) microplasma with ultrahigh resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry to allow elemental and isotopic analysis without chemical separations.Each of these presentations will bring a different look at the continuing evolutions of atomic spectrometry.