A single-step purification method for the precise determination of the antimony isotopic composition of environmental, geological and biological samples by HG-MC-ICP-MS

International audienceAntimony isotopes have been recently used as geochemical tracers for archeological or environmental purposes. The purification of antimony in samples with a low Sb concentration and a complex matrix is a critical step to measure the 123Sb/121Sb ratio by hydride generation coupled to a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HG-MC-ICP-MS). A single-step purification method based on the use of thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica powder (TSP) was developed to separate antimony from other elements. A low amount of Sb (40–100 ng) is required thanks to low procedural blanks (