Acquisition of a new ICP-QQQ-MS instrument at the Mass Spectrometry Unit of the Complutense University of Madrid

In May 2026, a hybrid analytical platform was installed in the Mass Spectrometry Unit, consisting of an Agilent 8900 triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-QQQ-MS), hyphenated online to an Agilent 1260 Infinity II Bio-inert high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system and equipped with a high-capacity autosampler. This state-of-the-art instrumentation will enable ultra-trace multielemental and isotopic analyses with detection limits in the parts-per-trillion (ppt) range, as well as semiquantitative analysis of virtually the entire periodic table and determination of isotopic ratios, particularly for Pb and Sr, with high precision and analytical accuracy. The triple quadrupole (MS/MS) technology provides exceptional instrumental robustness through the effective removal of complex spectral interferences using advanced collision/reaction cell modes, thereby enabling the analysis of highly complex chemical matrices with maximum metrological reliability.

This system has been specifically designed for advanced applications in chemical speciation, metallomics, biomedicine, and environmental monitoring, fields in which high-salinity biological matrices coexist with analytes at ultratrace concentration levels. The fully bioinert configuration of the Agilent 1260 Infinity II chromatographic system — free of metallic components throughout the flow path — minimizes nonspecific adsorption phenomena and secondary contamination, preserving sample chemical integrity and ensuring quantitative recoveries in the analysis of metalloproteins, nucleotides, organometallic complexes, and metal-based pharmaceuticals.

In addition, the system incorporates an octopole reaction system (ORS4) operated with Helium, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Ammonia gases, providing high versatility for the resolution of isobaric and polyatomic interferences through selective ion–molecule reactions. This configuration will enable the development of automated high-throughput methodologies for absolute elemental quantification, nanoparticle characterization, purity assessment of biological materials and nanomedicines, as well as isotopic studies and applications in geochemical and environmental traceability.