Total-reflection X-ray fluorescence: An alternative tool for the analysis of magnetic ferrofluids

This work presents the first application of the total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) to the compositional study of magnetic ferrofluids. With the aims of validating the best analytical conditions and also, limitations of the TXRF in the compositional study of these materials, an alternative empirical method, based in the use of angle-dependence TXRF (AD-TXRF) measurements, is proposed. Three kinds of ferromagnetic nanoparticles, with different morphologies, have been studied. The techniques of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) have been used to validate the TXRF results. In contrast with the plasma techniques, the developed TXRF procedure need not of previous chemical acid digestion. Additionally, two procedures of magnetic nanoparticles synthesis, co-precipitation and laser-pyrolysis, have been checked for the contaminants trace metals Zn, Mn and Cr. It has been found that the method of laser-pyrolysis produces nanoparticles of higher purity.