Investigation of plasmas produced by laser ablation using single and double pulses for food analysis demonstrated by probing potato skins

We report on investigations of plasmas produced by laser ablation of fresh potatoes using infrared nanosecond laser radiation. A twin laser system consisting of two Nd:YAG oscillators was used to generate single or double pulses of adjustable interpulse delay. The potatoes were irradiated under ambient air with moderate pulse energies of about 10 mJ. The expansion dynamics of the ablation plume was characterized using fast imaging with a gated camera. In addition, time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy was applied to study the spectral line emission of the various plasma species. The electron density was deduced from Stark broadening, and the plasma temperature was inferred from the relative emission intensities of spectral lines. The relative concentrations of metals were estimated from the comparison of the measured emission spectra to the spectral radiance computed for a plasma in local thermal equilibrium. It is shown that the plasma produced by double pulses has a larger volume and a lower density. These properties lead to an increase of the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of 2 and thus to an improved measurement sensitivity.     

On the stoichiometry of mass transfer from solid to plasma during pulsed laser ablation of brass

We have performed spectroscopic analysis of the plasma produced by pulsed laser ablation of brass in a low pressure argon atmosphere. The intensities of several spectral lines of copper, zinc and lead were measured for succeeding laser pulses applied to the same irradiation site. The intensities and spectral shapes of the observed transitions were compared to the spectral radiance computed for plasma in local thermal equilibrium. At a delay of 600 ns after the laser pulse, the plasma is characterized by typical values of temperature and electron density of 1.1 × 10⁴ K and 1.2 × 10¹⁷ cm^− 3, respectively, and an elemental composition equal to that of the sample. Small changes of spectral line intensities were observed with increasing number of applied laser pulses. They were attributed to the alteration of the plume expansion dynamics as a consequence of crater formation on the sample surface. The results indicate that the mass transfer from the solid to the plasma is stoichiometric.     

Spatial distributions of the number densities of neutral atoms and ions for the different elements in a laser induced plasma generated with a Ni-Fe-Al alloy

Spatially-resolved emission spectroscopy, including spatial devonvolution of the spectra, has been used to determine the three-dimensional distributions of the relative number densities of neutral atoms and ions of the elements present in a laser-induced plasma generated with a Ni-Fe-Al alloy. The method is based on the precise measurement of the local electronic temperature from Saha–Boltzmann plots constructed with Fe I and Fe II lines. The plasma was generated in air at atmospheric pressure using a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser, and the emission was detected in the time window 3.0–3.5 μs. The ionization fraction was very high (above 0.9) for the three elements in the sample, only decreasing behind the expanding plasma front. The relative number densities were obtained from the emissivities of selected elemental lines as well as the temperature. The error in this procedure was estimated, and it was found that it is largely due to the uncertainties in the transition probability values used. The spatial distributions of the total relative number densities of the three elements were shown to coincide within the error, a result which is relevant to the development of models of plasma emission used in analytical applications. The ratios of the total number densities of the elements in the plasma were compared to their concentration ratios in the sample; however, the relatively high errors in the relative number densities did not permit any definitive conclusions to be drawn about the stoichiometry of the laser ablation process.     

Multi-element Saha–Boltzmann and Boltzmann plots in laser-induced plasmas

A multi-element Saha–Boltzmann plot method is proposed for the determination of the temperature and the relative number density in laser-induced plasmas, assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and stoichiometry conservation. The method has been applied to the characterization of a plasma generated with a Cu–Fe–Ni–Mn alloy, using a Nd:YAG laser in air at atmospheric pressure. Spectra of the local emissivity have been obtained by spatial deconvolution of the intensity spectra, obtained with spatial resolution. Saha–Boltzmann plots obtained from the emissivities of 58 spectral lines of Fe I, Fe II, Ni I, Ni II, Mn I and Mn II have been fitted to linear behavior with high correlation, which shows the validity of the equation proposed. Radial distributions of the temperature and number densities of neutral atoms and ions have been determined. The results obtained reinforce the initial considerations of local thermodynamic equilibrium and conservation of stoichiometry. The proposed equation can also be applied to only one ionization species (multi-element Boltzmann plot). Spatially-integrated measurements of the plasma emission have also been performed to show that, in this case, the application of the method to the line intensities provides the two different apparent temperatures for neutral atoms and ions.     

Application of calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to radially resolved spectra from a copper-based alloy laser-induced plasma

In this work, the Calibration-Free approach for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) was applied for the first time to radially resolved spectra emitted by a laser-induced plasma. The radial profiles of plasma temperature and electron number density were used to calculate the local relative concentration of the elements of interest. We analyzed a set of profiles of the local spectral emission coefficient obtained previously by means of spatial deconvolution of the spectra from a copper-based alloy (Cu 93, Fe 5, Mn 1, Ni 1 wt.%) laser-induced plasma. A spatially integrated spectrum of the same plasma was also analyzed for comparison purpose. The relative abundance of the minor components Fe, Mn and Ni was calculated. The results obtained from the central region of the plasma were closer to the nominal concentrations than those obtained from the spatially integrated spectrum. However, an increasing deviation was observed towards the plasma edge. It is proposed that this deviation could be the result of a gradual departure from Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) conditions due the significant decrease of the electron density at the external shells of the plasma.     

Time-resolved characterization of laser-induced plasma from fresh potatoes

Optical emission of laser-induced plasma on the surface of fresh vegetables provides sensitive analysis of trace elements for in situ or online detection of these materials. This emergent technique promises applications with expected outcomes in food security or nutrition quality, as well as environment pollution detection. Characterization of the plasma induced on such soft and humid materials represents the first step towards quantitative measurement using this technique. In this paper, we present the experimental setup and protocol that optimize the plasma generation on fresh vegetables, potatoes for instance. The temporal evolution of the plasma properties are investigated using time-resolved laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). In particular, the electron density and the temperatures of the plasma are reported as functions of its decay time. The temperatures are evaluated from the well known Boltzmann and Saha-Boltzmann plot methods. These temperatures are further compared to that of the typical molecular species, CN, for laser-induced plasma from plant materials. This comparison validates the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) in the specific case of fresh vegetables ablated in the typical LIBS conditions. A study of the temporal evolution of the signal to noise ratio also provides practical indications for an optimized detection of trace elements. We demonstrate finally that, under certain conditions, the calibration-free LIBS procedure can be applied to determine the concentrations of trace elements in fresh vegetables.     

Experimental study on equilibrium deviations in atmospheric pressure argon/helium surface wave discharges

Atmospheric pressure surface wave discharges generated with Ar–He mixtures with He concentrations up to 99% were studied using spectroscopic techniques. The variation of electron density and linear power density with He concentration and along the plasma column is discussed together with the excitation temperatures derived from the Boltzmann plot of the excited states of Ar I and the values of the b(p) parameters to derive the thermodynamic equilibrium state of the discharge. Important deviations with respect to Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium were observed for He concentrations over 50% as the discharge shifts from a recombining to an ionizing behaviour. Furthermore, the discharge kinetic variations behind these changes are discussed.     

The role of the He I and He II metastables in the population of the Sn II,Sn III and Sn IV ion levels

On the basis of the temporal evolutions of the singly, doubly and triply ionized tin (Sn II, Sn III and Sn IV, respectively) spectral line intensities, in the pulsed helium and nitrogen plasmas, the important role of the He I and He II metastables has been observed in the Sn II, Sn III and Sn IV ionization and population processes. According to these processes, one can expect realization of several laser levels in the Sn II (11.07, 11.20, 12.44 and 13.11 eV), Sn III (15.91, 17.82, 19.13 and 20.19 eV) and Sn IV (20.51 eV) spectra. The modified version of the linear, low-pressure, pulsed arc was used as a plasma source operated in helium with tin atoms, as impurities, evaporated from tin cylindrical plates located in the homogenous part of the discharge tube. This plasma source provides good conditions for a generation of the Sn III, Sn IV and Sn V ions at relatively low electron temperatures (below 18,000 K) providing low background radiation around the intense Sn IV and Sn III spectral lines in the helium plasma. The 222.613 ± 0.0005 nm Sn IV line, not observed up to now, has been identified. The marked, but not classified 243.688 nm Sn spectral line is sorted by ionization stages. The shapes of Sn III and Sn IV lines, ranged between 207 nm and 307 nm, have been obtained. At a 17,500 K electron temperature and 1.07 × 10²³ m^− 3 electron density the Stark broadening was found as the dominant mechanism in the mentioned lines broadening. The measured Stark widths of the prominent nine Sn IV and seven Sn III lines are the first data in the literature. The Stark widths of the intense 229.913 nm and 288.766 nm Sn IV lines can be used for the plasma electron density and temperature diagnostics purposes.     

Time-resolved optical emission spectroscopic measurements of He plasma induced by a high-power CO2 pulsed laser

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of helium plasma, initially at room temperature and pressures ranging from 12 to 101 kPa was investigated using a transverse excitation atmospheric CO₂ pulsed laser (λ = 9.621 and 10.591 μm, a full width at half maximum of 64 ns, and an intensity from 1.5 to 5.36 GW cm⁻²). The helium breakdown spectrum is mainly due to electronic relaxation of excited He, He⁺ and H. Plasma characteristics were examined in detail on the emission lines of He and He⁺ by the time-integrated and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy technique. Optical breakdown threshold intensities, ionization degree and plasma temperatures were obtained. An auxiliary metal mesh target was used to analyze the temporal evolution of the species in the plasma. The results show a faster decay of the continuum emission and He⁺ species than in the case of neutral He atoms. The velocity and kinetic energy distributions for He and He⁺ species were obtained from time-of-flight measurements. Electron density in the laser-induced plasma was estimated from the analysis of spectral data at various times from the laser pulse incidence. Temporal evolution of electron density has been used for the estimation of the three-body electron-ion recombination rate constant.     

Investigations on laser ablation–microwave induced plasma–atomic emission spectrometry using polymer samples

The potential of laser ablation–microwave induced plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (LA–MIP–AES) for the analysis of plastic materials has been investigated. A Nd/YAG laser, operated in its fundamental mode at 1064 nm, was used to ablate small amounts of various plastics. The sample atoms were transported and excited in a closely neighbored continuously running microwave induced plasma (MIP) operated in argon or helium at reduced pressure. A 0.5-m échelle spectrometer, equipped with an intensified charge coupled device (ICCD) as a detector was used for recording the spectra. The amount of ablated material was found to be strongly dependent on the matrix (10–190 ng/shot). Signals for some metals often used as additives in polymers (Al, Ca, Cu, Sb, Ti) and for the elements F, Cl, Br, J, and P in various polymers were recorded in the spectral range 250–840 nm. The estimated detection limits were found to be in the range 0.001–0.08% for metals and 0.05–0.7% for non-metals. Spectral lines of fluorine and iodine could only be measured in the helium MIP. For high concentrations of chlorine and carbon in the samples (polyvinylchloride), a memory effect was observed.     

A comparative study of rotational temperatures using diatomic OH,O2 and N2+ molecular spectra emitted from atmospheric plasmas

From the application point of view, gas temperature is one of the most important parameters for atmospheric plasmas. Based on the fact that the gas temperature is closely related with the rotational temperature of an atmospheric plasma, a spectroscopic method of measuring the rotational temperature is described in this work by analyzing OH, O₂ and N₂⁺ molecular spectra emitted from the atmospheric plasma in ambient air. The OH and N₂⁺ molecular spectra are emitted because of the oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen atoms existing in the ambient air. The O₂ diatomic molecular spectrum is emitted from the oxygen plasma that is frequently produced for atmospheric plasma applications. In order to utilize a spectrometer with modest spectral resolution, a synthetic diatomic molecular spectrum was compared with the experimentally obtained spectrum. The rotational temperatures determined by the above three different molecular spectra are in good agreement within 2.4% error. In the case of a plasma with low gas temperature, the temperature measured by a thermocouple was compared to verify the accuracy of the spectroscopic method, and the results show excellent agreement. From the study, it was found that an appropriate diatomic molecular species can be chosen to be used as a thermometer depending on experimental circumstances.     

Spectroscopic characterization of a neon surface-wave sustained (2.45 GHz) discharge at atmospheric pressure

In this paper a spectroscopic study of a microwave (2.45 GHz) neon surface-wave sustained discharge (SWD) at atmospheric pressure in a quartz tube has been carried out in order to determine the plasma characteristic parameters (e.g. electron temperature and density, gas temperature, absorbed power per electron) and also to identify possible deviations from the thermodynamic equilibrium for this kind of microwave discharge. The results have been compared to experiments in the literature for other noble gas (helium and argon) SWDs generated under similar experimental conditions. Intermediate values between those of argon and helium plasmas were obtained for characteristic neon plasma parameters (temperatures and electron density). An important departure from the Saha equilibrium was exhibited by neon SWDs.     

Spectroscopic properties of dipicolinic acid and its dianion

If robust spectroscopic techniques are to be developed for the detection and identification of pathogens, one must understand the relevant spectroscopic properties of the target molecules. In this paper, we employ density functional theory (DFT) to study the structural, electronic, vibrational, optical, and magnetic properties of dipicolinic acid (DPA) and its dianion DPA⁻². Our full geometrical optimization and Mulliken charge analysis show that DFT does not lead to the significant discrepancies between charges on symmetric carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that are found in less accurate calculations based on the complete active space MCSCF method. Our calculated vibrational frequencies, Raman spectra, and infrared spectra for ground-state DPA and DPA⁻² are in good agreement with experiment, and this is also true of the four calculated ¹³C NMR spectral lines (for α, β, γ, and carboxyl sites). Our time-dependent DFT study of the optical excitation and absorption of both DPA and DPA⁻² provides the first interpretation of the observed near ultraviolet absorption and fluorescence spectra. Finally, we discuss for the first time the effect of a solvent on the spectral properties of DPA.     

Investigation on the role of air in the dynamical evolution and thermodynamic state of a laser-induced aluminium plasma by spatial- and time-resolved spectroscopy

The amount and the spatial distribution of air atoms and ions in a laser-induced plasma in ambient air provide important information about the formation of the plasma and its successive evolution history. For this reason, in the present work, the air mixing in a laser-induced plasma in air at atmospheric pressure and its influence on its thermodynamic evolution were studied. Information about spatial distributions of atoms and ions from Al, N and O were achieved by Abel-inverted spectra in the plume. The occurrence of LTE in the plume was also assessed by the utilization of theoretical criteria, and by the analysis of experimental spectra. Aluminium atoms and ions were found to be in LTE, while nitrogen and oxygen were not because of their longer times of relaxation toward equilibrium. Nitrogen was found to be over-ionized with respect to Saha–Eggert equilibrium, indicating that the plasma is recombining. Experimental observations suggest that the concentration of air species in the plasma is larger than that of aluminium, even in the region closer to the target, where the aluminium lines are stronger. In the front part of the plume only emission lines from air species were observed. The results suggest that a Laser-Supported Detonation (LSD) regime occurs during the trailing part of the laser pulse, resulting in the strong inclusion into the plasma of air elements. In this scenario, also the thermodynamic history of the plume is affected by the predominance of air species.     

Complexation reactions,electronic properties,and reactivity descriptors of cysteamine-based ligands in aqueous solution: a PCM/DFT study

Computational approaches based on density functional theory (DFT) combined with polarizable continuum model (PCM) of solvation have been used to probe the likelihood of complexation in water between oxo-vanadium(IV) and various medicinal cysteamine-based ligands. The experimental electronic spectra of a complex formed by oxo-vanadium(IV) and penicillamine in water agree well with the theoretical spectra based on the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. Among all density functionals adopted, CAM-B3LYP outperforms the others in predicting both structural and spectroscopic properties of oxo-transition metal complexes of cysteamine-based ligands. A variety of chelation behaviors have been found for the ligands tested, depending on the choice of substituent added to the cysteamine backbone. Solvation has a great impact on the thermodynamic driving force for cysteine and its derivatives to undergo complexation. In all cases, the thiolate sulfur atom forms stronger coordination bond than either the amine nitrogen or carboxylate oxygen atoms. Based on the thermodynamic and nucleophilicity index calculations, penicillamine has the highest potential to form complex with oxo-vanadium(IV).     

Dependence of structure of dehydrated PVA on the crystallinity of the original PVA

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films having different crystallinities were prepared by elongating PVA films to different degrees and heating the films with and without elongation treatment at several temperatures between 60 and 200°C. Then, they were dehydrated by heating from 80°C to 230 or 330°C in hydrogen chloride gas. Infrared spectral measurements were made on the dehydrated PVA films obtained. Absorbances of the absorption bands due to several groups seen in the infrared spectra depended only on the density of original PVA films, regardless of its degree of elongation. From these dependences, it was found that the dehydration reaction progressed more easily in the crystalline region than in the amorphous region, that the aromatic rings with four or five adjacent hydrogen atoms were formed mainly in the amorphous region and those with two adjacent hydrogen atoms in the crystalline region, and that the aromatic rings with two isolated hydrogen atoms were formed in both the amorphous and crystalline regions. Relative concentrations of the groups of which the dehydrated PVA were composed were estimated. Comparison of the numbers of carbon atoms among the composing groups indicated that the main groups were the methylene group and the aromatic ring.     

Structural and conformational analysis of neutral dinuclear diorganotin(IV) complexes derived from hexadentate Schiff base ligands

The synthesis of three hexadentate Schiff base ligands has been carried out, which contain two sets of ONO donor atoms. These were reacted with diorganotin(IV) dichloride derivatives (R = Me, nBu, Ph) to prepare seven dinuclear diorganotin(IV) complexes in moderate yields. Aside from IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn) spectroscopic studies, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis, four tin complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. The spectroscopic analyses showed that in solution the tin atoms have five-coordinate environments with a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Each tin atom is coordinated to the nitrogen atom and forms covalent bonds with two oxygen atoms and two carbon atoms. Due to the presence of a methylene group as bridge between the two ONO chelates, the overall molecular structures can have cis or trans conformation, having either mirror or C₂-symmetry. While in solution a fast equilibrium can be supposed, in the solid state different intermediate conformations have been detected. Furthermore, for the dialkyltin derivatives Sn?O intermolecular interactions were found allowing for a dimeric or crinkled polymeric organization, whereas for the diphenyltin derivatives no such interactions were observed.     

Analysis of ionic solids with SNMS

Summary The application of plasma-based SNMS to salt samples was examined to reveal the analytical features of this technique for the analysis of environmental material, which is frequently composed of ionic compounds. 10¹⁶ s^–1 cm^–2 argon ions of 300–500 eV energy were used to sputter halides, sulfates, nitrates and carbonates. The mass spectra are dominated by atomic signals of all elements of the salt and contain additional minor signals of binary homo- and heteroelemental clusters. The latter, such as salt monomers of alkali halides, are useful for compound identification. In sputter equilibrium the atomic mass signals can be used for elemental quantitation with a matrix dependence of about ±30% for the detection factors of most elements. As the average elemental detection factors are shown to be governed by atomic ionization probabilities the erosion flux from salts comprises mainly atoms. Results indicate that thermal release of atoms as well as emission of clusters are the main cause of the matrix dependence. The relative yield of the clusters was found to be strongly enhanced with increasing mass difference of the combined ions. The sputter yield of NaCl was determined to be 3.3 atoms/projectile at 490 eV argon ion energy which results in a depth propagation of 5 nm/s for the given sputter conditions.     

LIBS结合图像筛选方法提高钢铁中Cu、Cr、Mn元素检测稳定性研究

优质特种钢材和低端粗钢之间的性能差异主要受其构成元素种类及其成分含量的影响,因此,如何快速准确地对物质成分进行定性及定量分析对钢铁产品的质量评估至关重要。针对传统方法难以实现对钢铁合金成分的快速准确检测的难题,采用激光诱导击穿光谱(LIBS)结合等离子体图像信息的方法,通过快速地对不同元素的特征光谱强度与激发生成的等离子体图像进行采集,分析两者之间的相关性,并通过提取的图像特征信息的异常值剔除了部分无效光谱数据,进而实现了对钢铁成分的高精度分析。通过分析延迟时间和激光能量等不同实验条件对元素特征光谱强度及其对应等离子体图像的影响规律,不仅证明了等离子体图像与光谱之间存在相关性,还利用等离子体图像特征信息的局部最优值确定了最优延迟时间、激光能量分别为1 000 ns与50 mJ,并根据图像特征的平均阈值来筛选无效光谱数据。结果表明,图像筛选优化数据后,各元素谱线校准模型的决定系数(R²)分别从原始数据的0.978、0.986、0.957、0.935提升至0.995、0.997、0.968、0.957,且其定标曲线对未知样品元素的预测浓度相对标准偏差(RSD)下降为原...