Single-Bubble Sonoluminescence of Colloidal Suspensions as a New Technique for Sonoluminescent Spectroscopic Analysis

Abstract

This is a brief research review on the new method of development for element luminescence determination, namely, sonoluminescent spectroscopy. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique of multibubble sonoluminescence (MBSL) in solutions used to apply this method are discussed. It has been shown that the use of a new technique moving single-bubble sonoluminescence (m-SBSL) in colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles (<50 nm) containing the elements analyzed seems preferable for this purpose. This makes it possible to determine elements not only at lower concentrations than when using MBSL in solutions but also to find elements that are unavailable for determination through previous techniques. Thus, this new technique expands the range of elements that can be determined using sonoluminescent spectroscopy. The article provides a detailed description of the standard procedure for the preparation and recording of m-SBSL in colloidal suspensions, as well as examples of characteristic spectra of some elements obtained and recorded for the first time according to this new technique (Al, K, Mn, Cd, Pt, Ni, and Ti), including those not previously found using the MBSL in solutions (Al, Cd, Pt, Ni, and Ti). An example of the analytical line at 396 nm in the Al spectrum obtained through this new technique on the basis of an AlCl3 initial aqueous solution, the region of the linear dependence of the intensity on the AlCl3 concentration was registered, and the lower limit of the spectroscopic determination of the Al content in this solution was estimated as 8.3·10−3 M. Using the analysis of the obtained Cd spectrum as an example, we carried out a spectroscopic measurement of the electronic temperature achieved at m-SBSL in bubble plasma at the moment of greatest compression of a bubble with light emission during its acoustic oscillations in dodecane, Te = 7900 ± 500 K.