Use of Magnetic Field Confined Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (MC-LIBS) for application in agroenvironmental analyses

• Grant number: 24/06047-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Renato Menegatti
• Grantee: Carlos Renato Menegatti
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Bruno Spolon Marangoni ; Débora Marcondes Bastos Pereira ; Gustavo Nicolodelli ; Paulino Ribeiro Villas Boas

Abstract

The project proposes the study and implementation of the Magnetic Field Confined Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy technique in single pulse (MC-LIBS) and double pulse (MC-LIBS-DP) modes as an innovative approach for the analysis of concentration and elemental characterization in agroenvironmental samples. We aim to optimize the LIBS spectrum through magnetic confinement of the plasma, exploring various magnetic field configurations. Initially, experiments will be conducted to measure the sensitivity of MC-LIBS with respect to Al emission lines. After system implementation, the project aims to apply the technique to agroenvironmental samples to determine the concentration of nutrients and contaminants, including essential elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as toxic elements such as mercury and lead. Univariate and multivariate analyses will be performed to evaluate system performance, including determination of the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) and comparison between the techniques LIBS, MC-LIBS e MC-LIBS-DP. (AU)