Enhanced plasma grating-induced breakdown spectroscopy for sensitive detection of heavy metal in solution

Plasma grating-induced breakdown spectroscopy (GIBS) has gained notable attention for its capacity in trace metal element detection. This study examined the utilization of plasma grating to create micropores and nanoparticles on a Si sample surface and explored their impact on GIBS. We found that the presence of these features resulted in a significant 2.4-fold enhancement in the spectral intensity of the Si plasma at a laser energy of 2.7 mJ, with micropores structures and nanoparticles promoting the plasma excitation. Furthermore, the effect of micropores structures and nanoparticles on the spectral intensities of Cr and Cd elements in water was investigated. Significantly, the spectral line intensity of heavy metal Cr and Cd in the etched area was about 4.5 and 2.6 times that of the unetched area, and the detection limit for trace levels of Cr and Cd in water was determined to be 6.40 mg/L and 75.0 mg/L, respectively. These findings highlight the promising potential of the enhanced GIBS as a more sensitive method for detecting trace metal elements in water.