Development of Desolvation System for Single-cell Analysis Using Droplet Injection Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy

With a view to enhance the sensitivity of analytical instruments used in the measurement of trace elements contained in a single cell, we have now equipped the previously reported micro-droplet injection system (M-DIS) with a desolvation system. This modified M-DIS was coupled to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and evaluated for its ability to measure trace elements. A flow rate of 100 mL/min for the additional gas and a measurement point 7.5 mm above the load coil (ALC) have been determined to be the optimal parameters for recording the emission intensity of the Ca(I) spectral lines. To evaluate the influence of the desolvation system, we recorded the emission intensities of the Ca(I), Ca(II), and H-beta spectral lines with and without inclusion of the desolvation system. The emission intensity of the H-beta spectral line reduces and the magnitude of the Ca(II)/Ca(I) emission intensity ratio increases four-fold with inclusion of the desolvation system. Finally, the elements Ca, Mg, and Fe present in a single cell of Pseudococcomyxa simplex are simultaneously determined by coupling the M-DIS equipped with the desolvation system to ICP-AES.