Avoiding Misunderstanding Self-Absorption in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Analysis
Vincenzo Palleschi
Abstract
In a recent article, I discussed seven common errors that may affect the results of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis. Among these errors, one of the recurring ones is related to misunderstanding the process of self-absorption in LIBS plasmas. Because many people working in LIBS still consider self-absorption as a problem yet to be solved, I am dedicating a full article to this topic. The physics and chemistry of the phenomenon have been well known for many years, and this knowledge can tell us how self-absorption can be not only “corrected,” but also tuned to our advantage in analytical applications of LIBS.
Topics & Concepts
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopyAbsorption (acoustics)SpectroscopyAbsorption spectroscopyPlasmaMaterials scienceEngineering physicsNanotechnologyAnalytical Chemistry (journal)ChemistryOpticsPhysicsQuantum mechanicsEnvironmental chemistryLaser-induced spectroscopy and plasmaAnalytical chemistry methods developmentMercury impact and mitigation studies