The triple-isotope calibration approach: a universal and standard-free calibration approach for obtaining absolute isotope ratios of multi-isotopic elements

The theory of a new calibration approach for obtaining absolute isotope ratios of multi-isotopic elements without the use of any standard has been developed. The calibration approach basically uses the difference in the instrumental isotope fractionation of two different types of mass spectrometers, leading to two different fractionation lines in a three-isotope diagram. When measuring the same sample with both mass spectrometers, the different fractionation lines have one point in common: this is the ‘true’ logarithmized isotope ratio pair of the sample. Thus, the intersection of both fractionation lines provides us with the absolute isotope ratios of the sample. This theory has been tested in practice by measuring Cd and of Pb isotope ratios in the certified reference materials BAM-I012 and NIST SRM 981 by thermal ionization mass spectrometry and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry while varying the ionization conditions for both mass spectrometers. With this experiment, the theory could be verified, and absolute isotope ratios were obtained, which were metrologically compatible with the certified isotope ratios. The so-obtained absolute isotope ratios are biased by − 0.5 % in average, which should be improved with further developments of the method. This calibration approach is universal, as it can be applied to all elements with three or more isotopes and it is not limited to the type of mass spectrometers applied; it can be applied as well to secondary ion mass spectrometry or others. Additionally, this approach provides information on the fractionation process itself via the triple-isotope fractionation exponent θ. [Figure: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00216-020-03050-4.