Effects of laser focusing and fluence on the analysis of pellets of plant materials by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

The effects of laser focusing and fluence on LIBS analysis of pellets of plant leaves was evaluated. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (5 ns, 10 Hz, 1064 nm) was used and the emission signals were collected by lenses into an optical fiber coupled to a spectrometer with Echelle optics and ICCD. Data were acquired from the accumulation of 20 laser pulses at 2.0 μs delay and 5.0 μs integration time gate. The emission signal intensities increased with both laser fluence and spot size. Higher sensitivities for Ca, K, Mg, P, Al, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn determinations were observed for fluences in the range from 25 to 60 J cm− 2. Coefficients of variation of site-to-site measurements were generally lower than 10% (n = 30 sites, 20 laser pulses/site) for a fluence of 50 J cm− 2 and 750 μm spot size. For most elements, there is an indication that accuracy is improved with higher fluences.

► Laser focusing and fluence affect the quality of LIBS results. ► Improvements on sensitivity and precision were observed for most analytes. ► Matrix effects can be minimized by choosing the most appropriate fluence.