On-line matrix addition for detecting aerosol particles

Single aerosol particles were measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) with an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS). The inlet to the ATOFMS was coupled with an evaporation/condensation flow cell that allowed matrix addition by condensation onto the particles. The coated particles entered the ion source through three-stage differentially pumped capillary inlet and were then ionized by a focused 266 nm Nd:YAG laser. The mass spectra and aerodynamic size of the single particles can be obtained simultaneously. The on-line matrix addition technique makes it possible to identify biological aerosols in real-time.     

基于自适应共振神经网络的单粒子激光电离质谱数据分析

气溶胶激光飞行时间质谱仪(ALUOFMS)可以在线地对气溶胶单粒子进行物理和化学特性分析,利用双束连续激光对单个粒子的空气动力学粒径进行测量,并通过飞行时间完成单粒子化学成分的检测。该仪器在运行过程中将产生海量的实验数据,对这些数据快速、自动处理并提取有价值的信息是整机系统的关键之一。文章介绍了基于神经网络的自适应共振算法(ART-2a)在随机混和的氯化钠、氯化钙、邻苯二甲酸二正辛酯(DOP)和2,5二羟基苯甲酸(DHB)气溶胶单粒子聚类分析中的成功运用。同以往的质谱分析方法相比,ART-2a可以实现对任意多和任意复杂的输入模式进行自组织,自适应和自稳定的快速识别,更有利于质谱数据的分析。实验结果表明,当警戒值为0.40,学习速率为0.05以及迭代次数为6时,ART-2a可以成功地对这四种物质进行分类,同时得到4类物质的聚类中心,每类的聚类中心都能很好的代表该类物质的特征。     

用激光解吸附电离飞行时间质谱法检测悬浮土壤颗粒物

在自行研制的气溶胶飞行时间激光质谱仪(ATOFLMS)上实时探测单个悬浮土壤颗粒的粒径和化学成分。利用双束连续激光对单个粒子的空气动力学粒径进行测量,并用266 nm的Nd∶YAG激光器对气溶胶单粒子进行解吸附电离作用,产物离子通过飞行时间质谱仪的无场漂移区后完成单粒子化学成分的检测。本实验中使用了4个不同地区的土壤样本,在实验室内对分析的样本进行预处理和再悬浮,通过导管引入ATOFLMS进行测量,得到大量单粒子的粒径和质谱数据。发现在众多的单粒子的阳离子质谱中,金属成分以地壳元素(Fe, K, Al, Ca)为主,在其他阳离子质谱中包含了Mg和Na等。对悬浮土壤粒子的粒径进行实时检测的结果表明这些粒子多以粗粒子为主, 粒径主要集中在1～2 μm。实验结果表明该仪器在大气气溶胶环境监测及相关研究领域具有重要的实用价值。     

延时提取正交发射MALDI技术研究

在反射式飞行时间质谱仪上,采用脉冲电场延时提取技术及离子正交发射采样方式,进行了基质辅助激光解吸附电离技术(MALDI)的研究.实验所用激光波长为266nm,基质为2,5二羟基苯甲酸,样品为孔雀石绿和多肽.得到了上述样品在MALDI条件下离子的质谱图和初速度分布.质谱测量的分辨率达到4000,质量测量的线性相关度好于0.9999,平均误差小于0.0075%.     

基于模糊聚类算法的大气粒子激光电离质谱数据分析

实验室自行研制了一台大气气溶胶飞行时间激光质谱仪(ATOFLMS),它可以在线地对气溶胶单粒子进行物理和化学特性分析,利用双束连续激光对单个粒子的空气动力学粒径进行测量,并通过飞行时间完成单粒子化学成分的检测。该仪器在运行过程中将产生海量的实验数据,对这些数据的快速、自动处理并提取有价值的信息是整机系统的关键之一。文章介绍模糊聚类算法FCM(fuzzy c-means)在大气气溶胶单粒子聚类分析中的成功运用。利用该算法对连续24 h采集的室内空气气溶胶单粒子质谱数据进行了聚类分析,在得到的5个聚类结果中包含了无机的海盐粒子、矿物质粒子以及其他的三种二次气溶胶成分粒子类型。在对室内空气气溶胶粒子的粒径进行实时检测的结果表明室内可吸入颗粒物以细粒子为主,其中大于1 μm的粒子所占比重较小。小于1 μm的粒子均占95％以上, 在0.4～0.8 μm之间的粒子占据主要部分。     

Cluster generation by laser ablation

We produced niobium clusters over a wide size range (Nb_n: 1≤n≤1000) by a laser ablation method in a low-pressure condensation source. Mass spectra of the neutral clusters, positive and negative ion clusters were measured by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a high mass resolution and a wide mass range. Similarity and difference in their mass spectra were examined to understand the cluster generation process in different charged states.     

Analysis of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) by size exclusion chromatography/matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization. 2. self-association due to phenol end groups

We report here a case of apparent failure of the size exclusion chromatography/matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (SEC/MALDI) method to provide polymer fractions with narrow molar mass distribution, showing that intermolecular chain association is responsible for this phenomenon. Poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC) chains terminated with hydroxyl groups undergo self-association by hydrogen bonding, providing macromolecular aggregates with higher hydrodynamic volume. These aggregates are eluted through SEC columns at the same volume as higher molar mass chains, which remain non-associated. Thus, self-association affects negatively the SEC fractionation experiments, and even the sharpest SEC fractions contain a heterogeneous mixture of PC chains of different size. When the off-line SEC/MALDI procedure is applied, the SEC fraction is diluted in the matrix which, being a dissociating medium (carboxylic acid) for hydrogen-bonded aggregates, suppresses the chains' self-association. Therefore, the MALDI spectra of these PC fractions indicate a polydisperse character, with irregular bimodal distributions of peaks. As a consequence, in the presence of chain association, the SEC/MALDI method for the calculation of molar masses of polymers cannot be directly applied. In the present case we have found that, under opportune experimental conditions, self-association in polycarbonates can be avoided, so that nearly monodisperse SEC fractions can be obtained and the SEC/MALDI method can be applied. Our results also show that MALDI is a very sensitive technique for the detection of association of polymers in dilute solutions. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

气溶胶单粒子粒径的实时测量方法研究

介绍了近期研制的一台实时测量大气气溶胶单粒子粒径和化学成分的仪器在如何测量气溶胶单粒子粒径方面的测量原理及特点，并结合激光解吸附电离飞行时间质谱技术，利用该仪器对木屑燃烧产生的烟气气溶胶粒子的实时测量结果. 关键词： 气溶胶粒子 空气动力学粒径测量方法 激光解吸附电离 飞行时间质谱     

OH自由基启动甲苯光氧化产物的质谱

在烟雾腔系统内,辐照甲苯/CH₃ONO/NO/空气混合系统,启动甲苯的光氧化反应. 利用同步辐射光电离质谱在线检测甲苯光氧化气相产物,并用气溶胶飞行时间质谱实时测量甲苯光氧化形成的二次有机气溶胶粒子. 实验结果表明,呋喃、甲基乙二醛,2-甲基呋喃、苯甲醛、甲基酚和苯甲酸是甲苯光氧化反应形成的气体相和粒子相的主要产物,而乙二醛、2-羟基-3-氧代-丁醛、硝基甲苯和甲基硝基酚只存在粒子相.     

Modification of Reflectron Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for Photodissociation of Mass-Selected Cluster Ions

介绍了一种改进的反射式飞行时间质谱装置用于光解质量选择的团簇离子. 该装置中采用了\选质-减速-解离-再加速"的方式. 团簇离子在反射式飞行时间的一级聚焦点被选质,接着被减速,并且立即被光解,光解所产生的碎片以及没有被光解的母体离子被重新加速,这一系列过程都在靠近一级聚焦点的位置完成. 相对文献中报道的其他方式,采用这一方式更利于光解碎片和母体离子的分离,更容易确定光解激光的触发时间,同时,由于母体离子在一级聚焦点的空间分布比较窄,也有利于光解激光束照射到所有的团簇离子,从而提高光解效率. 对母体离子、碎     

White-light Detection for Nanoparticle Sizing with the TSI Ultrafine Condensation Particle Counter

Several of the most common methods for measuring nanoparticle size distributions employ the ultrafine condensation particle counter (UCPC) for detection purposes. Among these methods, the pulse height analysis (PHA) technique, in which the optical response of the UCPC detector is related to initial particle diameter in the 3–10nm range, prevails in applications where fast sampling is required or for which concentrations of nanoparticles are frequently very low. With the PHA technique, white light is required for particle illumination in order to obtain a monotonic relationship between initial particle diameter and optical response (pulse height). However, the popular, commercially available TSI Model 3025A UCPC employs a laser for particle detection. Here, we report on a novel white-light detection system developed for the 3025A UCPC that involves minimal alteration to the instrument and preserves normal counting operation. Performance is illustrated with pulse height spectra produced by differential mobility analyzer (DMA) – generated calibration aerosols in the 3–50nm range.     

MATRIX-ASSISTED LASER DESORPTION MASS SPECTROMETRY

ABSTRACT

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is a technique that has attracted widespread interest since its introduction in 1988. It is primarily implemented using time-of-flight or trapped ion mass analyzers and greatly facilitates determination of molecular weights for biomolecules, polymers, and natural products. Numerous publications on these and related applications have appeared during the past ten years. The present brief MALDI review is intended to provide selected coverage of recent literature, with special emphasis on applications to proteomics, whole cells and tissues, polymers, organic and inorganic molecules. In view of the intense current interest, the choice of topics emphasizes biochemically-related applications.     

The internal energy of small ammonia clusters in a supersonic beam and after scattering off LiF(100)

The photoionization efficiency (PIE) of neutral ammonia clusters is studied as a function of photon energy. From these curves the internal energies of clusters in the incident supersonic beam and of clusters surviving after scattering off a LiF(100) surface are derived. A supersonic expansion of ammonia seeded in He produces small clusters of various size but with uniform kinetic energy of about 285 meV per monomer molecule. The mass distribution of clusters in the jet and of the scattered particles is measured in a reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer by single photon photoionization using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) laser radiation tunable between and . In the incident beam the internal energies of clusters up to n = 15 do not vary significantly and amount to an average of about . After scattering off LiF(100) the internal energy of clusters up to n = 4 increases with fragment size and amounts to about half a monomer binding energy. Received 18 October 1999 and Received in final form 10 December 1999     

MALDI-based intact spore mass spectrometry of downy and powdery mildews

Fast and easy identification of fungal phytopathogens is of great importance in agriculture. In this context, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for analyzing microorganisms. This study deals with a methodology for MALDI-TOF MS-based identification of downy and powdery mildews representing obligate biotrophic parasites of crop plants. Experimental approaches for the MS analyses were optimized using Bremia lactucae, cause of lettuce downy mildew, and Oidium neolycopersici, cause of tomato powdery mildew. This involved determining a suitable concentration of spores in the sample, selection of a proper MALDI matrix, looking for the optimal solvent composition, and evaluation of different sample preparation methods. Furthermore, using different MALDI target materials and surfaces (stainless steel vs polymer-based) and applying various conditions for sample exposure to the acidic MALDI matrix system were investigated. The dried droplet method involving solvent evaporation at room temperature was found to be the most suitable for the deposition of spores and MALDI matrix on the target and the subsequent crystallization. The concentration of spore suspension was optimal between 2 and 5?×?10(9) spores per ml. The best peptide/protein profiles (in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and number of peaks) were obtained by combining ferulic and sinapinic acids as a mixed MALDI matrix. A pretreatment of the spore cell wall with hydrolases was successfully introduced prior to MS measurements to obtain more pronounced signals. Finally, a novel procedure was developed for direct mass spectra acquisition from infected plant leaves. Copyright ? 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of high-resolution ESI and MALDI mass spectrometry to metabolite profiling of small interfering RNA duplex

We investigated the application of a high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source and a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer to the metabolite profiling of a model small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplex TSR#34 and compared their functions and capabilities. TSR#34 duplex was incubated in human serum in vitro, and the duplex and its metabolites were then purified by ion exchange chromatography in order to remove the biological matrices. The fraction containing the siRNA duplex and its metabolites was collected and desalted and then subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with a reversed phase column. The siRNA and its metabolites were separated into single strands by elevated chromatographic temperature and analyzed using the ESI-Orbitrap or the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer. Using this method, the 5' and/or 3' truncated metabolites of each strand were detected in the human serum samples. The ESI-Orbitrap mass spectrometer enabled differentiation between two possible RNA-based sequences, a monoisotopic molecular mass difference which was less than 2 Da, with an intrinsic mass resolving power. In-source decay (ISD) analysis using a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer allowed the sequencing of the RNA metabolite with characteristic fragment ions, using 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone (2,4-DHAP) as a matrix. The ESI-Orbitrap mass spectrometer provided the highest mass accuracy and the benefit of on-line coupling with HPLC for metabolite profiling. Meanwhile, the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, in combination with 2,4-DHAP, has the potential for the sequencing of RNA by ISD analysis. The combined use of these methods will be beneficial to characterize the metabolites of therapeutic siRNA compounds. Copyright ? 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhancement of double auger decay probability in xenon clusters irradiated with a soft-x-ray laser pulse

The interaction of large Xe clusters with a soft x-ray laser pulse having a wavelength of 13.9 nm and an intensity of up to 2x10(10) W/cm2 was investigated using a time-of-flight ion mass spectrometer. The corresponding laser photon energy was sufficiently high to photoionize Xe 4d innershell electrons. It was found that Xe3+ ions (which result from double Auger decay of 4d vacancies) became the dominant final ionic product with increasing cluster size and x-ray intensity. This is in contrast to the results of synchrotron radiation experiments involving free Xe atoms, in which Xe2+ is the dominant resultant ion species. Possible mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of the double Auger transition probability in x-ray laser and cluster interaction are discussed.     

Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Mass Spectra of Typical Organics Contained in Ambient Aerosols

This paper reports an investigation on typical organics contained in ambient aerosols with a vacuum ultraviolet photoionization aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (VUV-ATOFMS). The VUV-ATOFMS utilizes a vacuum ultraviolet krypton lamp as an ionization source. The single- and multi-constituent particles generated with typical atmospheric organics (n-eicosane, n-triacontane, 1-pentadecanol, 1-eicosanol, hexanoic acid, decanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, oleic acid, succinic acid, pyrene, vanillin, benzoic acid, terephthalic acid, and D-galactose) are analyzed with VUV-ATOFMS. The time-of-flight mass spectra of all organic particles are obtained except hexanoic acid. The mass spectra reveal that the detection efficiencies for a certain compound contained in multi-constituent and single-constituent particles are different. These discrepancies may result from the different evaporation dynamics of aerosols in both atomization and vaporization processes. The pyrene has the strongest signal intensity in single- or multi-constituent aerosols, indicating that the VUV-ATOFMS performs well in detecting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These experimental results present a view on the VUV-photoionization mass spectra of the 14 typical organics contained in ambient aerosols.     

Mass Spectrometry,Review of the Basics: Electrospray,MALDI, and Commonly Used Mass Analyzers

Abstract

Mass spectrometry (MS) has progressed to become a powerful analytical tool for both quantitative and qualitative applications. The first mass spectrometer was constructed in 1912 and since then it has developed from only analyzing small inorganic molecules to biological macromolecules, practically with no mass limitations. Proteomics research, in particular, increasingly depends on MS technologies. The ability of mass spectrometry analyzing proteins and other biological extracts is due to the advances gained through the development of soft ionization techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) that can transform biomolecules into ions. ESI can efficiently be interfaced with separation techniques enhancing its role in the life and health sciences. MALDI, however, has the advantage of producing singly charges ions of peptides and proteins, minimizing spectral complexity. Regardless of the ionization source, the sensitivity of a mass spectrometer is related to the mass analyzer where ion separation occurs. Both quadrupole and time of flight (ToF) mass analyzers are commonly used and they can be configured together as QToF tandem mass spectrometric instruments. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), as the name indicates, is the result of performing two or more sequential separations of ions usually coupling two or more mass analyzers. Coupling a quadrupole and time of flight resulted in the production of high-resolution mass spectrometers (i.e., Q-ToF). This article will historically introduce mass spectrometry and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of ESI and MALDI along with quadrupole and ToF mass analyzers, including the technical marriage between the two analyzers. This article is educational in nature and intended for graduate students and senior biochemistry students as well as chemists and biochemists who are not familiar with mass spectrometry and would like to learn the basics; it is not intended for mass spectrometry experts.     

Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Water-soluble Gold Nanoclusters

Batches of water-soluble gold nanoclusters of nominal 2.0 or 3.5-nm diameter were prepared to evaluate particle size determinations by a number of techniques such as transmission electron microscopy or atomic force microscopy and to validate estimates derived by mass spectrometric analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI). Good agreement was found and MALDI lends itself to analyses even in the presence of aggregates.     

用激光解吸附电离法对三甲苯生成二次有机气溶粒子的分析

利用实验室烟雾腔,在不同的实验条件下研究了由羟基启动的三甲苯光氧化反应所产生的二次有机气溶胶,采用激光解吸附技术和气溶胶飞行时间质谱仪测量了产物的化学组分和粒子的粒径分布。结果表明:随着反应物三甲苯浓度的增加,所生成的二次有机气溶胶粒子数量增多;随着反应时间的延长,生成的粒子数目也增加,但是反应到一段时间后,检测到的粒子数目几乎保持不变;光照强度的增加有利于二次有机气溶胶的生成;通过对产物的化学成分分析,说明了在二次有机光氧化产物中粒子相产物主要是芳香的环保留产物、非芳香环保留产物和环断裂产物。