Simultaneous nondestructive analysis of palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold nanoparticles using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence.

A selective method is proposed for the determination of palladium, gold, and sulfur in catalytic systems, by direct liquid analysis using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), under an atmosphere of helium or air. This method allows a nondestructive analysis of palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold nanoparticulate catalysts stabilized by imidazolium propane sulfonate based zwitterionic surfactants, allowing the samples to be reused for catalytic studies. The signals from palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold samples in the presence of imidazolium propane sulfonate-based zwitterionic surfactants obtained using EDXRF before (Pd(2+), Rh(2+), Pt(2+), and Au(3+)) and after (Pd(0), Rh(0), Pt(0), and Au(0)) formation of nanoparticles are essentially identical. The results show that the EDXRF method is nondestructive and allows detection and quantification of the main components of platinum, gold, rhodium, and palladium NPs, including the surfactant concentration, with detection and quantification limits in the range of 0.4-3 mg L(-1). The matrices used in such samples present no problems, even allowing the detection and quantification of interfering elements.