Understanding nanoscale phenomena using single particle mass spectrometry and improvement of its performance: A review

Abstract

Single particle mass spectrometry (SPMS), that is capable of sizing and chemically analyzing single nanoparticles, has offered an opportunity for better understandings of particles, and combustion of energetic nanoparticles. Also as ultrafine and accumulationmode aerosols in the size range of 30 - 300nm can penetrate deeply into human lung and cause serious diseases, the need for advanced SPMS has been rapidly growing. In this article, we therefore offer a broad review of single particle mass spectrometry based on our previous publications, from its working principle and several concerns for interpretation of the data, to the applications for probing nanoscale phenomena,. This article also describes ways to develop and improve the SPMS for better quantification of data and more efficient detection, so as to provide simple design guidelines for SPMS developers. © 2011 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.