Simultaneous Measurement of ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd Ratios in Natural Geological Samples by MC-ICP-MS After One Stage Chemical Purification Using TODGA Resin

We demonstrate the capability of simultaneous measurement of Sm-147/Nd-144 and Nd-143/Nd-144 ratios in natural geological samples by MC-ICP-MS after one stage chemical purification with TODGA resin as a potential alternative to the isotope dilution method. After sample digestion, one-step chemical isolation of Sm and Nd with almost 100% recovery from sample matrix elements was accomplished by using the TODGA extraction chromatography resin. The Sm-147/Nd-144 and Nd-143/Nd-144 ratios were simultaneously determined through a single analytical session utilizing MC-ICP-MS. The present analytical protocol relies on the mathematical correction of isobaric interference, thus alleviating the separation of Nd and Sm from each other and utilizing enriched tracers. The feasibility of the present protocol was investigated by the reduplicate analyses of internationally certified reference materials (CRMs), which encompassed a wide range of chemical compositions and were of a similar order as those obtained through the isotope dilution method. This also reduced the cost and time consumption of both chemical preparation and mass spectrometric measurements.