Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: Investigating Nonlinear Response Observed in Pulse Counting Mode and Extending the Linear Dynamic Range by Compensating for Dead Time Related Count Losses on a Microsecond Timescale

The article demonstrates the importance of using a suitable approach to compensate for dead time relate count losses (a certain measurement artefact) whenever short, but potentially strong transient signals are to be analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Findings strongly support the theory that inadequate time resolution, and therefore insufficient compensation for these count losses, is one of the main reasons for size underestimation observed when analysing inorganic nanoparticles using ICP-MS, a topic still controversially discussed.