The combination of hydride generation with Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) is an extremely effective and inexpensive sample introduction technique. Because hydride forming elements have high transport efficiency (separation of the hydride from the sample matrix) as well as efficient atomization/excitation, greater sensitivity and thus lower detection limits can be achieved in comparison to conventional ICP nebulization. To produce the hydrides, a sample that has been diluted in an acid solution is mixed with a reducing agent (usually a solution of sodium borohydride in dilute sodium hydroxide). The reaction of sodium borohydride with the acid produces hydrogen which subsequently reduces the analyte ions to hydrides, which are gaseous at ambient temperature.
This application note will use hydride generation in combination with the Teledyne Leeman Labs Prodigy7 Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Spectrometer equipped with a dual-view torch. Experimental conditions were optimized for the determination of As, Sb, Se and Bi.