Combining secondary ion mass spectrometry image depth profiling and single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to investigate the uptake and biodistribution of gold nanoparticles in Caenorhabditis elegans

Analytical techniques capable of determining the spatial distribution and quantity (mass and/or particle number) of engineered nanomaterials in organisms are essential for characterizing nano-bio interactions and for nanomaterial risk assessments. Here, we combine the use of dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (dynamic SIMS) and single particle inductively coupled mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) techniques to determine the biodistribution and quantity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) ingested by Caenorhabditis elegans. We report the application of SIMS in image depth profiling mode for visualizing, identifying, and characterizing the biodistribution of AuNPs ingested by nematodes in both the lateral and z (depth) dimensions. In parallel, conventional- and sp-ICP-MS quantified the mean number of AuNPs within the nematode, ranging from 2 to 36 NPs depending on the size of AuNP. The complementary data from both SIMS image depth profiling and spICP-MS provides a complete view of the uptake, translocation, and size distribution of ingested NPs within Caenorhabditis elegans.

Large cluster ions: soft local probes and tools for organic and bio surfaces

Ionised cluster beams have been produced and employed for thin film deposition and surface processing for half a century. In the last two decades, kiloelectronvolt cluster ions have also proved to be outstanding for surface characterisation by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), because their sputter and ion yields are enhanced in a non-linear fashion with respect to monoatomic projectiles, with a resulting step change of sensitivity for analysis and imaging. In particular, large gas cluster ion beams, or GCIB, have now become a reference in organic surface and thin film analysis using SIMS and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The reason is that they induce soft molecular desorption and offer the opportunity to conduct damageless depth-profiling and 3D molecular imaging of the most sensitive organic electronics and biological samples, with a nanoscale depth resolution. In line with these recent developments, the present review focuses on rather weakly-bound, light-element cluster ions, such as noble or other gas clusters, and water or alcohol nanodroplets (excluding clusters made of metals, inorganic salts or ionic liquids) and their interaction with surfaces (essentially, but not exclusively, organic). The scope of this article encompasses three aspects. The first one is the fundamentals of large cluster impacts with surfaces, using the wealth of information provided by molecular dynamics simulations and experimental observations. The second focus is on recent applications of large cluster ion beams in surface characterisation, including mass spectrometric analysis and 2D localisation of large molecules, molecular depth-profiling and 3D molecular imaging. Finally, the perspective explores cutting edge developments, involving (i) new types of clusters with a chemistry designed to enhance performance for mass spectrometry imaging, (ii) the use of cluster fragment ion backscattering to locally retrieve physical surface properties and (iii) the fabrication of new biosurface and thin film architectures, where large cluster ion beams are used as tools to transfer biomolecules in vacuo from a target reservoir to any collector substrate.

A Correlative ToF-SIMS/SPM Methodology for Probing 3D Devices

With the continuous miniaturization and increasing complexity of the devices used in nanotechnology, there is a pressing need for characterization techniques with nm-scale 3D-spatial resolution. Unfortunately, techniques like Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) fail to reach the required lateral resolution. For this reason, new concepts and approaches, including the combination of different complementary techniques, have been developed in over the past years to try to overcome some of the challenges. Beyond the problem of spatial resolution in a 3D SIMS experiment, one is also faced with the impact of changes in topography during the analysis. These are quite difficult to identify because they originate from the different sputter rates of the various materials and or phases in a heterogeneous system and are notorious at the interfaces between organic and inorganic layers. As each of these materials will erode at a different velocity, accurate 3D-analysis will require means to establish a spatially resolved relation between ion bombardment time and depth. Inevitably such a nonhomogeneous erosion will lead to the development of surface topography. The impact of these effects can be overcome provided one can capture the time and spatially dependent surface erosion (velocity) with high spatial resolution during the course of a profiling experiment. Incorporating a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) unit which provides topography measurements with high spatial resolution, into a SIMS tool (e.g., Time of Flight (ToF) SIMS) with means to alternate between SPM and SIMS measurements, is one approach to meet that demand for complementary topographical information allowing accurate 3D chemical imaging. In this paper, the result of integrating a SPM module into a ToF-SIMS system is presented illustrating the improvements in 3D data accuracy which can be obtained when analyzing complex 3D-systems.

Validated Analysis of Component Distribution Inside Perovskite Solar Cells and Its Utility in Unveiling Factors of Device Performance and Degradation

Time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) has been used for gaining insights into perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the importance of selecting ion beam parameters to eliminate artifacts in the resulting depth profile is often overlooked. In this work, significant artifacts were identified with commonly applied sputter sources, i.e., an O₂⁺ beam and an Ar-gas cluster ion beam (Ar-GCIB), which could lead to misinterpretation of the PSC structure. On the other hand, polyatomic C₆₀⁺ and Ar⁺ ion beams were found to be able to produce depth profiles that properly reflect the distribution of the components. On the basis of this validated method, differences in component distribution, depending on the fabrication processes, were identified and discussed. The solvent-engineering process yielded a homogeneous film with higher device performance, but sequential deposition led to a perovskite layer sandwiched by methylammonium-deficient layers that impeded the performance. For device degradation, it was found that most components remained intact at their original position except for iodide. This result unambiguously indicated that iodide diffusion was one of the key factors governing the device lifetime. With the validated parameters provided, ToF-SIMS was demonstrated as a powerful tool to unveil the structure variation amid device performance and during degradation, which are crucial for the future development of PSCs.

Intuitive Model of Surface Modification Induced by Cluster Ion Beams

Topography development is one of the main factors limiting the quality of depth profiles during depth profiling experiments. One possible source of topography development is the formation of self-organized patterns due to cluster ion beam irradiation. In this work, we propose a simple model that can intuitively explain this phenomenon in terms of impact-induced mass transfer. By coupling our model with molecular dynamics simulations, we can predict the critical incidence angle, which separates the smoothening and roughening regimes. The results are in quantitative agreement with experiments. It is observed that the problems arising from topography development during depth profiling with cluster projectiles can be mitigated by reducing the beam incidence angle with respect to the surface normal or increasing its kinetic energy.

Mass spectrometry as a tool to advance polymer science

In contrast to natural polymers, which have existed for billions of years, the first well-understood synthetic polymers date back to just over one century ago. Nevertheless, this relatively short period has seen vast progress in synthetic polymer chemistry, which can now afford diverse macromolecules with varying structural complexities. To keep pace with this synthetic progress, there have been commensurate developments in analytical chemistry, where mass spectrometry has emerged as the pre-eminent technique for polymer analysis. This Perspective describes present challenges associated with the mass-spectrometric analysis of synthetic polymers, in particular the desorption, ionization and structural interrogation of high-molar-mass macromolecules, as well as strategies to lower spectral complexity. We critically evaluate recent advances in technology in the context of these challenges and suggest how to push the field beyond its current limitations. In this context, the increasingly important role of high-resolution mass spectrometry is emphasized because of its unrivalled ability to describe unique species within polymer ensembles, rather than to report the average properties of the ensemble.

ToF-SIMS Depth Profiling of Organic Delta Layers with Low-Energy Cesium Ions: Depth Resolution Assessment

The advent of cluster ion beams has paved the way to the routine 3D analysis of organic heterojunctions. Alternatively, organic thin layers have also been successfully depth profiled with a low-energy cesium ion beam (Cs⁺), to exploit the high chemical reactivity of cesium atoms, acting as free-radical scavengers. Despite of this, little is known about the depth resolution associated with low-energy Cs⁺ sputtering on organic multilayers. In this work, amino acids multilayers, consisting of phenylalanine delta layers alternated with tyrosine spacers, were used as model systems to assess the depth resolution associated with 500 eV Cs⁺ depth profiles. High yields were obtained for quasi-molecular ions from both amino acids, and no significant chemical alteration was noticed under the monoatomic bombardment. A depth resolution as low as 4 nm is demonstrated without sensible degradation on a rather long profile depth (300 nm). Limited depth resolution (> 10 nm) along with high molecular degradation was previously reported on similar systems by combining low-energy Cs⁺ with Ga⁺ analysis beam. The use of the Bi₃⁺ analysis beam results in a dramatic improvement of both the characteristic molecular signal intensities and the depth resolution. Even though the analysis beam fluence is very low compared to the sputtering beam fluence, data suggest that further reducing the analysis Bi₃⁺ fluence could improve the depth resolution by ~ 1 nm.

Three Dimensional Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Imaging (3D-SIMS) of Aedes aegypti ovarian follicles

The mobilization of nutrient reserves into the ovaries of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes after sugar-feeding plays a vital role in the female's reproductive maturation. In the present work, three-dimensional secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging (3D-SIMS) was used to generate ultrahigh spatial resolution (~1 μm) chemical maps and study the composition and spatial distribution of lipids at the single ovarian follicle level (~100 μm in size). 3D-Mass Spectrometry Imaging (3D-MSI) allowed the identification of cellular types in the follicle (oocyte, nurse and follicular cells) using endogenous markers, and revealed that most of the triacyglycerides (TGs) were compartmentalized in the oocyte region. By comparing follicles from water-fed and sugar-fed females (n=2), 3D-MSI-Time of Flight-SIMS showed that TGs were more abundant in ovarian follicles of sugar-fed females; despite relative sample reproducibility per feeding condition, more biological replicates will better support the trends observed. While the current 3D-MSI-TOF-SIMS does not permit MS/MS analysis of the lipid species, complementary LC-MS/MS analysis of the ovarian follicles aided tentative lipid assignments of the SIMS data. The combination of these MS approaches is giving us a first glimpse of the distribution of functionally relevant ovarian lipid molecules at the cellular level. These new tools can be used to investigate the roles of different lipids on follicle fitness and overall mosquito reproductive output.

Hybrid Perovskites Depth Profiling with Variable-Size Argon Clusters and Monatomic Ions Beams

Ion beam depth profiling is increasingly used to investigate layers and interfaces in complex multilayered devices, including solar cells. This approach is particularly challenging on hybrid perovskite layers and perovskite solar cells because of the presence of organic/inorganic interfaces requiring the fine optimization of the sputtering beam conditions. The ion beam sputtering must ensure a viable sputtering rate on hard inorganic materials while limiting the chemical (fragmentation), compositional (preferential sputtering) or topographical (roughening and intermixing) modifications on soft organic layers. In this work, model (Cs_x(MA_0.17FA_0.83)_100−xPb(I_0.83Br_0.17)₃/cTiO₂/Glass) samples and full mesoscopic perovskite solar cells are profiled using low-energy (500 and 1000 eV) monatomic beams (Ar⁺ and Cs⁺) and variable-size argon clusters (Ar_n⁺, 75 < n < 4000) with energy up to 20 keV. The ion beam conditions are optimized by systematically comparing the sputtering rates and the surface modifications associated with each sputtering beam. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, and in-situ scanning probe microscopy are combined to characterize the interfaces and evidence sputtering-related artifacts. Within monatomic beams, 500 eV Cs⁺ results in the most intense and stable ToF-SIMS molecular profiles, almost material-independent sputtering rates and sharp interfaces. Large argon clusters (n > 500) with insufficient energy (E < 10 keV) result in the preferential sputtering of organic molecules and are highly ineffective to sputter small metal clusters (Pb and Au), which tend to artificially accumulate during the depth profile. This is not the case for the optimized cluster ions having a few hundred argon atoms (300 < n < 500) and an energy-per-atom value of at least 20 eV. In these conditions, we obtain (i) the low fragmentation of organic molecules, (ii) convenient erosion rates on soft and hard layers (but still different), and (iii) constant molecular profiles in the perovskite layer, i.e., no accumulation of damages.

SIMS of Organic Materials-Interface Location in Argon Gas Cluster Depth Profiles Using Negative Secondary Ions

A procedure has been established to define the interface position in depth profiles accurately when using secondary ion mass spectrometry and the negative secondary ions. The interface position varies strongly with the extent of the matrix effect and so depends on the secondary ion measured. Intensity profiles have been measured at both fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl-L-pentafluorophenylalanine (FMOC) to Irganox 1010 and Irganox 1010 to FMOC interfaces for many secondary ions. These profiles show separations of the two interfaces that vary over some 10 nm depending on the secondary ion selected. The shapes of these profiles are strongly governed by matrix effects, slightly weakened by a long wavelength roughening. The matrix effects are separately measured using homogeneous, known mixtures of these two materials. Removal of the matrix and roughening effects give consistent compositional profiles for all ions that are described by an integrated exponentially modified Gaussian (EMG) profile. Use of a simple integrated Gaussian may lead to significant errors. The average interface positions in the compositional profiles are determined to standard uncertainties of 0.19 and 0.14 nm, respectively, using the integrated EMG function. Alternatively, and more simply, it is shown that interface positions and profiles may be deduced from data for several secondary ions with measured matrix factors by simply extrapolating the result to Ξ = 0. Care must be taken in quoting interface resolutions since those measured for predominantly Gaussian interfaces with Ξ above or below zero, without correction, appear significantly better than the true resolution. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

ToF-SIMS and Laser-SNMS Imaging of Heterogeneous Topographically Complex Polymer Systems

Heterogeneous polymer coatings, such as those used in organic electronics and medical devices, are of increasing industrial importance. In order to advance the development of these types of systems, analytical techniques are required which are able to determine the elemental and molecular spatial distributions, on a nanometer scale, with very high detection efficiency and sensitivity. The goal of this study was to investigate the suitability of laser postionization secondary neutral mass spectrometry (Laser-SNMS) with a 157 nm postionization laser beam to image structured polymer mixtures and compare the results with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) measurements using Bi₃⁺ primary ions. The results showed that Laser-SNMS is better suited than ToF-SIMS for unambiguous detection and submicrometer imaging of the wide range of polymers investigated. The data also showed that Laser-SNMS has the advantage of being much more sensitive (in general higher by more than an order of magnitude and peaking at up to 3 orders of magnitude) than ToF-SIMS while also showing superior performance on topographically complex structured insulating surfaces, due to significantly reduced field effects and a higher dynamic range as compared to ToF-SIMS. It is concluded that Laser-SNMS is a powerful complementary technique to ToF-SIMS for the analysis of heterogeneous polymers and other complex structured organic mixtures, providing submicrometer resolution and high sensitivity.

Determination of the sputtering yield of cholesterol using Arn(+) and C60(+(+)) cluster ions

The sputtering yield of cholesterol films on silicon wafers is measured using Arn(+) and C60(+(+)) ions in popular energy (E) and cluster size (n) ranges. It is shown that the C60(+(+)) ions form a surface layer that stabilizes the film so that a well-behaved profile is obtained. On the other hand, the Arn(+) gas clusters leave the material very clean but, at room temperature, the layer readily restructures into molecular bilayers, so that, although a useful measure may be made of the sputtering yield, the profiles become much more complex. This restructuring does not occur at room temperature normally but results from the actions of the beams in the sputtering process for profiling in secondary ion mass spectrometry. Better profiles may be made by reducing the sample temperature to -100 °C. This is likely to be necessary for many lower molecular weight materials (below 1000 Da) to avoid the movement of molecules. Measurements for cholesterol films on 37 nm of amiodarone on silicon are even better behaved and show the same sputtering yields at room temperature as those films directly on silicon at -100 °C. The yields for both C60(+(+)) and Arn(+) fit the Universal Equation to a standard deviation of 11%.

Systematic Temperature Effects in the Argon Cluster Ion Sputter Depth Profiling of Organic Materials Using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

A study is presented of the effects of sample temperature on the sputter depth profiling of two organic materials, NPB (N,N'-Di(1-naphthyl)-N,N'-diphenyl-(1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine) and Irganox 1010, using a 5 keV Ar2000 (+) cluster ion beam and analysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry. It is shown that at low temperatures, the yields increase slowly with temperature in accordance with the Universal Sputtering Yield equation where the energy term is now modified by Trouton's rule. This occurs up to a transition temperature, T T, which is, in turn, approximately 0.8T M, where T M is the sample melting temperature in Kelvin. For NPB and Irganox 1010, these transition temperatures are close to 15 °C and 0 °C, respectively. Above this temperature, the rate of increase of the sputtering yield rises by an order of magnitude. During sputtering, the depth resolution also changes with temperature with a very small change occurring below T T. At higher temperatures, the depth resolution improves but then rapidly degrades, possibly as a result first of local crater surface diffusion and then of bulk inter-diffusion. The secondary ion spectra also change with temperature with the intensities of the molecular entities increasing least. This agrees with a model in which the molecular entities arise near the crater rim. It is recommended that for consistent results, measurements for organic materials are always made at temperatures significantly below T T or 0.8 T M, and this is generally below room temperature. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Improved mass resolution and mass accuracy in TOF-SIMS spectra and images using argon gas cluster ion beams

The popularity of argon gas cluster ion beams (Ar-GCIB) as primary ion beams in time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) has increased because the molecular ions of large organic- and biomolecules can be detected with less damage to the sample surfaces. However, Ar-GCIB is limited by poor mass resolution as well as poor mass accuracy. The inferior quality of the mass resolution in a TOF-SIMS spectrum obtained by using Ar-GCIB compared to the one obtained by a bismuth liquid metal cluster ion beam and others makes it difficult to identify unknown peaks because of the mass interference from the neighboring peaks. However, in this study, the authors demonstrate improved mass resolution in TOF-SIMS using Ar-GCIB through the delayed extraction of secondary ions, a method typically used in TOF mass spectrometry to increase mass resolution. As for poor mass accuracy, although mass calibration using internal peaks with low mass such as hydrogen and carbon is a common approach in TOF-SIMS, it is unsuited to the present study because of the disappearance of the low-mass peaks in the delayed extraction mode. To resolve this issue, external mass calibration, another regularly used method in TOF-MS, was adapted to enhance mass accuracy in the spectrum and image generated by TOF-SIMS using Ar-GCIB in the delayed extraction mode. By producing spectra analyses of a peptide mixture and bovine serum albumin protein digested with trypsin, along with image analyses of rat brain samples, the authors demonstrate for the first time the enhancement of mass resolution and mass accuracy for the purpose of analyzing large biomolecules in TOF-SIMS using Ar-GCIB through the use of delayed extraction and external mass calibration.

Insights into the nanoscale lateral and vertical phase separation in organic bulk heterojunctions via scanning probe microscopy

Solution processed polymer (donor) and fullerene (acceptor) bulk heterojunctions are widely used as the photo active layer in organic solar cells. Intimate mixing of these two materials is essential for efficient charge separation and transport. Identifying relative positions of acceptor and donor rich regions in the bulk heterojunction with nanometer scale precision is crucial in understanding intricate details of operation. In this work, a combination of Ar(+)2000 gas cluster ion beam and scanning probe microscopy is used to examine the lateral and vertical phase separation within regio-regular poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT):phenyl-C60-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction. While the Ar(+)2000 gas cluster ion beam is used as a sputter tool to expose the underneath layers, scanning probe microscopy techniques are used to obtain two-dimensional (2D) electrical maps (with sub-2 nm lateral resolution). The electrical mapping is decoded to chemical composition, essentially producing lateral and vertical maps of phase separation. Thermal stress causes large PCBM-rich hillocks to form, and consequently affecting the balance of P3HT:PCBM heterojunctions, hence a negative impact on the efficiency of the solar cell. We further developed a method to analyze the efficiency of exciton dissociation based on the current maps and a loss of 20% in efficiency is observed for thermally degraded samples compared to fresh un-annealed samples.

Depth resolution at organic interfaces sputtered by argon gas cluster ions: the effect of energy, angle and cluster size

This paper presents, for the first time, the different operating parameters defining the best depth resolution in SIMS organic analysis.

Dual beam organic depth profiling using large argon cluster ion beams

Argon cluster sputtering of an organic multilayer reference material consisting of two organic components, 4,4'-bis[N-(1-naphthyl-1-)-N-phenyl- amino]-biphenyl (NPB) and aluminium tris-(8-hydroxyquinolate) (Alq3), materials commonly used in organic light-emitting diodes industry, was carried out using time-of-flight SIMS in dual beam mode. The sample used in this study consists of a ∽400-nm-thick NPB matrix with 3-nm marker layers of Alq3 at depth of ∽50, 100, 200 and 300 nm. Argon cluster sputtering provides a constant sputter yield throughout the depth profiles, and the sputter yield volumes and depth resolution are presented for Ar-cluster sizes of 630, 820, 1000, 1250 and 1660 atoms at a kinetic energy of 2.5 keV. The effect of cluster size in this material and over this range is shown to be negligible. © 2014 The Authors. Surface and Interface Analysis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

On Universality in Sputtering Yields Due to Cluster Bombardment

Molecular dynamics simulations, in which atomic and molecular solids are bombarded by Arn (n = 60-2953) clusters, are used to explain the physics that underlie the "universal relation" of the sputtering yield Y per cluster atom versus incident energy E per cluster atom (Y/n vs E/n). We show that a better representation to unify the results is Y/(E/U0) versus (E/U0)/n, where U0 is the sample cohesive energy per atom or molecular equivalent, and the yield Y is given in the units of atoms or molecular equivalents for atomistic and molecular solids, respectively. In addition, we identified a synergistic cluster effect. Specifically, for a given (E/U0)/n value, larger clusters produce larger yields than the yields that are only proportional to the cluster size n or equivalently to the scaled energy E/U0. This synergistic effect can be described in the high (E/U0)/n regime as scaling of Y with (E/U0)(α), where α > 1.

Electron flood gun damage effects in 3D secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of organics

Electron flood guns used for charge compensation in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) cause chemical degradation. In this study, the effect of electron flood gun damage on argon cluster depth profiling is evaluated for poly(vinylcarbazole), 1,4-bis((1-naphthylphenyl)amino)biphenyl and Irganox 3114. Thin films of these three materials are irradiated with a range of doses from a focused beam of 20 eV electrons used for charge neutralization. SIMS chemical images of the irradiated surfaces show an ellipsoidal damaged area, approximately 3 mm in length, created by the electron beam. In depth profiles obtained with 5 keV Ar(2000)(+) sputtering from the vicinity of the damaged area, the characteristic ion signal intensity rises from a low level to a steady state. For the damaged thin films, the ion dose required to sputter through the thin film to the substrate is higher than for undamaged areas. It is shown that a damaged layer is formed and this has a sputtering yield that is reduced by up to an order of magnitude and that the thickness of the damaged layer, which increases with the electron dose, can be as much as 20 nm for Irganox 3114. The study emphasizes the importance of minimizing the neutralizing electron dose prior to the analysis.

Depth resolution, angle dependence, and the sputtering yield of Irganox 1010 by coronene primary ions

A study is reported of the depth resolution and angle dependence of sputtering yields using the reference organic material, Irganox 1010, for a new coronene(+) depth profiling ion source at 8 and 16 keV beam energies. This source provides excellent depth profiles as shown by 8.5 nm marker layers of Irganox 3114. Damage occurs but may be ignored for angles of incidence above 70° from the surface normal, as shown by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the C 1s peak structure. Above 70°, XPS profiles of excellent depth resolution are obtained. The depth resolution, after removal of the thickness of the delta layers, shows a basic contribution of 5.7 nm together with a contribution of 0.043 times the depth sputtered. This is lower than generally reported for cluster sources. The coronene(+) source is thus found to be a useful and practical source for depth profiling organic materials. The angle dependencies of both the undamaged and damaged materials are described by a simple equation. The sputtering yields for the undamaged material are described by a universal equation and are consistent with those obtained for C60(+) sputtering. Comparison with the sputtering yields using an argon gas cluster ion source shows great similarities, but the yields for both the coronene(+) and C60(+) primary ion sources are slightly lower.