Community Leaders: Ramon Barnes – themed collection now published

The new themed collection for JAAS titled “Community Leaders: Ramon Barnes” is now published.

This is a collection of papers in celebration of Ramon Barnes’ career in analytical atomic spectrometry. This special virtual issue of JAAS is dedicated to Professor Ramon M. Barnes: educator, scientist, publisher, editor, innovator, conference organizer, and spectrochemist, among others.

Guest Edited by Gary M. Hieftje and Joanna Szpunar. New articles will be added to this collection as they are published.

These papers will be free to read* until 30th June 2022.

We hope you enjoy the collection!

Why not submit your high impact research to JAAS today.

*Access is free through an RSC account (free to register)

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Gerado Gamez’s Editor’s Choice Collection

Dr Gamez is a recently appointed member of the JAAS Editorial Board. He has highlighted some impactful work in this Editor’s Choice.

Read Dr Gamez’s Editor’s Choice selection via the links below – all articles are free to access for the next 4 weeks!


Single-particle ICP-MS with online microdroplet calibration: toward matrix independent nanoparticle sizing.
Hendriks et al. J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 2019, 34, 716-728. DOI: 10.1039/c8ja00397a.

This excellent work is particularly interesting because it addresses matrix effects in SP ICP MS, which represents one of the technique’s main drawbacks. The use of the microdroplet generator is a particularly clever approach. SP ICP MS is one of the areas in atomic spectrometry that is experiencing explosive growth. I also highly recommend reading the critical review of SP ICP MS by Mozhayeva and Engelhard1 to novices and experts alike.

Detection of microplastics using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operated in single-event mode.
Bolea-Fernandez et al. J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 2020, 35, 455-460. DOI: 10.1039/C9JA00379G.

The authors of this outstanding article extend the detection concept of SP ICP MS to polystyrene microspheres. As such, they provide the first demonstration showing this approach has the potential to be developed toward analysis of microplastics, which have been the focus of increased concern because of their impact in the environment.

Glow discharge optical emission spectrometry for quantitative depth profiling of CIGS thin-films.
Kodalle et al. J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 2019, 34, 1233-1241. DOI: 10.1039/C9JA00075E.

This work is a wonderful example of a systematic approach towards method development for quantitative depth profiling in GDOES, as well as its proper validation through complementary techniques, which can sometimes be challenging for multilayer thin films. The section correlating the CIGS thin-film energy bandgap profile to the one obtained from the ratio of Ga and In molar fractions by GDOES is another great aspect that sets this article apart.

Time-resolved imaging of atoms and molecules in laser-produced uranium plasmas.
Kautz et al. J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 2019, 34, 2236-2243. DOI: 10.1039/C9JA00228F.

In this great work, the authors measure the spatio-temporal variation of different species in laser-induced plasmas of uranium samples, which allowed them to obtain valuable insights into the evolution of the plasma chemistry. I am a big fan of plasma fundamental studies.

1. D. Mozhayeva and C. Engelhard. A critical review of single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry – A step towards an ideal method for nanomaterial characterization. J Anal At Spectrom, 2020, 35, 1740-1783. DOI: 10.1039/C9JA00206E

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Professor José-Luis Todolí: New JAAS Editorial Board Member

JAAS is pleased to welcome Professor José-Luis Todolí to its Editorial Board!


José-Luis Todolí is a full Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Alicante in Spain, head of the Applied Chemical Analysis research group and deputy vice chancellor for Knowledge Transfer.

In 1991 he graduated in chemistry and in 1994 obtained his PhD degree at the University of Alicante. The same year, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science at the same institution. In 1997, he was awarded with a European Marie Curie Grant and he performed one-year postdoctoral studies at the Université Claude Bernard in Lyon under the supervision of Professor Jean-Michel Mermet. In 2000 he obtained a permanent position as Associate Professor at the University of Alicante and, finally, in march of 2012 he gained the full professor position that he has occupied since then.

The goals of his research have been the development of ICP liquid sample introduction systems; the study of mechanisms of non-spectral interferences in ICP-based techniques and their further correction; the development of calibration strategies; the elemental analysis of petroleum products and biofuels, environmental, clinical and food samples. More recently he has been involved in projects related with laser ablation, development of new chromatographic methodologies and liquid-liquid extraction.

He has co-authored around 120 articles, several books and book chapters together with three patents. With around 300 contributions to international conferences, some of them awarded, he has given close to 40 invited lectures. More recently, in 2018, he was awarded by the Spanish Society of Researchers (dependent on the Spanish Research Council) for his contributions to the field of atomic spectrometry. He has collaborated with companies within the frame of more than 50 private contracts.

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Dr Gerardo Gamez: New JAAS Editorial Board Member

JAAS is pleased to welcome Dr Gerardo Gamez to its Editorial Board!


Dr Gamez obtained his B.Sc. at the University of Texas at El Paso, USA, where he performed research with Prof. Dr. Gardea-Torresdey in the area of environmental chemistry pertaining to the use of plant tissues to filter heavy metal contamination from aqueous media. He also obtained his M.Sc. in the Gardea-Torresdey group developing methods to recover noble metals from aqueous media and new processes to produce noble metal nanoparticles. He obtained his PhD in Analytical Chemistry at Indiana University-Bloomington, USA, with Prof. Dr. Hieftje, where he employed laser and optical emission diagnostic techniques in fundamental studies of plasmas used in analytical spectrochemistry. He also received the first Richard Payling Award for his work on the development of GDOES elemental mapping, co-developed a plasma based ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) source, and served as the chair for the Indiana Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.

His postdoctoral work at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, with Prof. Dr. Zenobi, involved developing AMS methods and exploring the possibilities of near-field laser ablation techniques. He then worked as a Scientist in the Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures at EMPA Thun, Switzerland, where he developed methods and instrumentation in glow discharge spectroscopy, and served as coordinator and manager for GLADNET, an EC FP6 program research-training network. In 2013, he joined the faculty at Texas Tech University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry where his research focuses on developing instrumentation and methods for multi-dimensional analysis, based on plasma OES and AMS, as well as plasma fundamental studies.

He was awarded the inaugural Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry Emerging Investigator Lectureship in 2016, and received the 2020 Young Plasma Scientist Award at the Winter Conference for Plasma Spectrochemistry. He has coauthored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications.

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Young Analytical Scientists 2021 – themed collection now published

The new Young Analytical Scientists themed collection for JAAS is now published.

This collection highlights the work of outstanding young scientists in atomic spectrometry and related areas. Authors are either outstanding graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, researchers in their first industrial appointment or young analytical faculty. Each author was nominated by worldwide experts in the field including members of the Editorial Board and Advisory Board of JAAS.

Guest Edited by Björn Meermann. New articles will be added to this collection as they are published.

These papers will be free to read* until 30th September 2021.

We hope you enjoy the collection!

Why not submit your high impact research to JAAS today.

*Access is free through an RSC account (free to register)

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12th International Conference on “Instrumental Methods of Analysis”

The 12th International Conference on Instrumental Methods of Analysis (IMA-2021) will take place on 20-23 September 2021 as a virtual event organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the National Technical University of Athens.

IMA is a biannual series of conferences that covers all areas of Chemical Analysis, including the development of new techniques, modern trends, and applications in a wide range of scientific disciplines. The 12th IMA conference will bring together some of the most talented and innovative analytical chemists from all over the world for an excellent scientific online conference.

JAAS, Analyst, Analytical Methods and Sensors and Diagnostics are sponsoring four poster prizes.
The deadline for last minute posters is 31 August 2021.

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Young Analytical Scientists – Ying Gao

Young Analytical Scientists

JAAS is excited to introduce Ying Gao as one of our Young Analytical Scientists.

Ying Gao is a professor of analytical chemistry at Chengdu University of Technology (China). She received her Ph. D. degree from Sichuan University (China) in 2011. After graduation, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in National Research Council Canada in 2014-2015. She joined the faculty of College of Earth Sciences in Chengdu University of Technology in 2011. Her current research interests are elements analysis and its application in geochemistry research.

Read Dr Gao’s paper Integration of cobalt ion assisted Fenton digestion and photochemical vapor generation: a green method for rapid determination of trace cadmium in rice.

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2021,36, 1422-1430, DOI: 10.1039/D1JA00037C

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Young Analytical Scientists – Fanny Thibon

Young Analytical Scientists

JAAS is excited to introduce Fanny Thibon as one of our Young Analytical Scientists.

Fanny Thibon is a researcher in isotope geochemistry. She defended her Ph.D. on the Paleoproterozoic Ocean using iron and copper stable isotopes in marine sediments. Then, she studied marine ecotoxicology using lithium isotope during a postdoc funded by the ANR ISO2MET project. Her main research interests relate to the use of stable isotope proxies relevant for the study of (i) the biogeochemical evolution of Earth’s surface through time, (ii) the reconstruction of paleoenvironments, (iii) the isotopic fingerprints of marine ecotoxicology, and (iv) the isotopic physiopathology of mammal diseases.

After obtaining a BSc in Geology, Fanny Thibon completed her teaching MSc in Biology and Geology, and her research MSc in Geology at the ENS de Lyon / Université Claude Bernard – Lyon 1 (France). After completing research projects and exchange semesters in various research institutes (ISTerre (France), University of Iceland (Iceland), ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and A&MS unit, Ghent University (Belgium)) she defended her PhD thesis in 2019. She is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer (France) and works on the ANR ISO2MET project.

Read Dr Thibon’s paper Lithium isotopic composition of reference materials of biological origin TORT-2, DORM-2, TORT-3, DORM-4, SRM-1400 and ERM-CE278k.

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2021,36, 1381-1388, DOI: 10.1039/D1JA00045D

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Young Analytical Scientists – Isabel Abad Alvaro

Young Analytical Scientists


JAAS is excited to introduce Isabel Abad Alvaro as one of our Young Analytical Scientists.

Isabel Abad Alvaro is a researcher in the Inorganic Analysis Group lead by Heidi Goenaga-Infante at the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) in LGC (UK).
She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Chemistry at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) and obtained her PhD in Analytical Science on Chemistry at the University of Zaragoza in September 2017 with Cum Laude and “European Doctorate” Mentions, under the supervision of Prof Francisco Laborda and Dr Eduardo Bolea Morales. Her PhD Thesis focused on the development of a platform of analytical methods for the analysis of nanomaterials in environmental and biological systems based on the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), both in single particle mode (spICP-MS) and coupled to asymmetrical field flow fractionation (AF4).

In July 2018, Dr Abad Alvaro joined LGC where her work has mainly focused in nano-metrology. During the past 2.5 years she has been strongly involved in the development of multi-modal approaches for the characterisation of nanomaterials in complex samples and their application to solve problems in advanced manufacturing and healthcare. Some of this work has been performed in collaboration with scientists across multiple disciplines and from key academic groups and national measurement institutes worldwide. She has also played a major role in the characterisation of new reference nano-materials. Dr Abad Alvaro is co-author of nine peer-reviewed publications in high calibre journals including the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (JAAS), Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Metallomics and Analyst and, has contributed with several works to different national and international conferences, both as poster and oral participations, having been awarded with a poster prize at the European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry in 2019 (EWCPS 2019). She is also co-author of a book chapter dedicated to the Characterisation of nanomaterials in complex samples using field-flow-fractionation (FFF) and has contributed to the drafting of an ISO Technical report on the use of spICP-MS for the determination of nanoparticle number concentration.

Read Dr Abad Alvaro’s paper An insight into the determination of size and number concentration of silver nanoparticles in blood using single particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS): feasibility of application to samples relevant to in vivo toxicology studies.

J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2021,36, 1180-1192, DOI: 10.1039/D1JA00068C
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Young Analytical Scientists – Thibaut Van Acker

Young Analytical Scientists


JAAS is excited to introduce Thibaut Van Acker as one of our Young Analytical Scientists.

Thibaut Van Acker obtained his Master of Science degree in Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Technology at Ghent University (Belgium) in 2015. During the last year of his Master of Science degree, he carried out his Master thesis in the Atomic & Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) research unit under the supervision of Dr. Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Prof. Dr. Frank Vanhaecke; it was during this time that he developed his interest in Analytical Chemistry. As a result, he started his PhD in the A&MS research unit on the topic “Method development for high-resolution elemental bio-imaging via laser ablation-ICP-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)”. After obtaining his PhD degree in Chemistry in 2019, he continued his journey as postdoctoral researcher further exploring the capabilities of LA-ICP-MS for elemental bio-imaging applications in interdisciplinary contexts. Dr Thibaut is (co-)author of 16 journal papers.

Read Dr Thibaut’s paper Analytical figures of merit of a low-dispersion aerosol transport system for high-throughput LA-ICP-MS analysis.


J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2021,36, 1201-1209, DOI: 10.1039/D1JA00110H

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