PERFORMANCE OF AN INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA SOURCE ION-TRAP MASS-SPECTROMETER

A unique system incorporating features of inductively coupled plasma ( ICP) and ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS) is described. The combined ICP-ITMS system is characterized instrumentally and the initial perfor mance features are presented. Bare atomic ions are observed for all el ements, including previously problematic high oxygen bond strength ele ments that produced high levels of MO(n)+ and M(OH)(n)+ ions in early ICP-ITMS experiments. Approximate, unoptimized detection limits of 10- 500 pg ml-1 are reported. Other advantages of the system include the c omplete destruction of typical ICP-MS polyatomic ions and the near com plete neutralization of plasma Ar+, both of which contribute to much s impler spectra below 80 m/z.