Imaging Of Ce In Cucumber Leaves By Cryogenic Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Mingli Chen, Jianhua Wang
Abstract
Discussing the spatial distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) in fresh plants is significant because dehydration may result in inaccurate sample imaging information. In this study, the spatial distribution of elements in cucumber leaves was achieved using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) system equipped with a cryogenic chamber. The cryogenic chamber eliminated the thermal effect of the ablation process, which improved signal stability. Thus, lower relative standard deviations were achieved for NIST 612 and spiked agar gel in a cryogenic chamber compared to those at room temperature. The imaging of Ce in fresh cucumber leaves was conducted under cryogenic conditions. The distribution information of 63 Cu, 66 Zn, 31 P, 140 Ce, and 13 C in cucumber leaves revealed that Ce 3+ has a higher negative effect than CeO2. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to achieve imaging of Ce in plants in a cryogenic chamber, which has significant implications for assessing NPs of environmental risk at the native state of biological tissues.