Mangolini’s group has pioneered the first demonstration of absolute hydrogen quantification in polymers using ToF‑SIMS, without standards or sensitivity factors. The approach, called the Full Spectrum Method (FSM), moves beyond relying on a handful of “marker” secondary-ion fragments. Instead, FSM sums the intensities of all detected secondary ions that contain the element(s) of interest, helping to reduce matrix effects that can distort absolute quantification.
FSM was validated on polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and is accompanied by a stepwise protocol for unknown polymer samples. While related full-spectrum concepts have been explored in semiconductor and dielectric systems, this is the first application and validation for polymers.
Read more at: Standardless, Quantitative SIMS Using the Full Spectrum Method (FSM): Part I. PolymersArticle
