Electrospray/VUV single-photon ionization mass spectrometry for the analysis of organic compounds

For the comprehensive analysis of organic compounds, especially thermal labile and nonpolar compounds, an electrospray/vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) single-photon ionization (ES-SPI) method was developed. The fine droplets of the sample solution from the electrospray process were directed through a quartz capillary and two skimmers to form a molecular beam into a high vacuum ionization chamber. The neutral sample molecules were softly ionized with tunable VUV light and analyzed with a reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (RTOF-MS). The ionization energy (IE) and appearance onsets of fragments were obtained based on the photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectrum. The isomers can also be distinguished. With this new method, clean (fragment-free) mass spectra of nonpolar compounds, such as benzene, cyclohexane, and some thermal labile solid compounds (triphenylamine, thioacetamide, and urea) have been obtained without any tedious pretreatment. The components of complex mixtures (gasoline and kerosene) can be identified. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of the components can be obtained based on photoionization cross section data. This method may be used for quantitative analysis of small biomolecules and natural products.     

Photoionization studies on various quinones by an infrared laser desorption/tunable VUV photoionization TOF mass spectrometry

Photoionization and dissociative photoionization characters of six quinones, including 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ), 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,4-NQ), 9,10-phenanthroquinone (PQ), 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ), benz[a]- anthracene-7,12-dione (BAD) and 1,2-acenaphthylenedione (AND) have been studied with an infrared laser desorption/tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (IR LD/VUV PIMS) technique. Mass spectra of these compounds are obtained at different VUV photon energies. Consecutive losses of two carbon monoxide (CO) groups are found to be the main fragmentation pathways for all the quinones. Detailed dissociation processes are discussed with the help of ab initio B3LYP calculations. Ionization energies (IEs) of these quinones and appearance energies (AEs) of major fragments are obtained by measuring the photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical data.     

Infrared laser desorption/vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry of petroleum saturates: a new experimental approach for the analysis of heavy oils

A novel method combining infrared (IR) laser desorption with tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (LD/VUV PIMS) is applied to characterize a number of petroleum saturates samples from Lungu atmospheric residue (LGAR) under different treatment procedures. The mass spectra of these saturates are well resolved with even masses as the dominant ions and are clearly sample‐dependent. In order to assess the ability of IR LD/VUV PIMS to determine the average molecular weight of heavy oils, the dependence of the measured molecular weight distributions on the VUV ionization photon energies is also discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissociative photoionization of methyl thiochloroformate, ClC(O)SCH3, following sulfur 2p, chlorine 2p, carbon 1s, and oxygen 1s excitations

The electronic transitions and the dissociative ionic photoionization mechanisms of gaseous ClC(O)SCH(3) have been investigated at the VUV and soft X-ray energy regions of S 2p, Cl 2p, C 1s, and O 1s core edges using tunable synchrotron radiation and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The relative abundances of the ionic fragments were obtained from both PEPICO (photoelectron photoion coincidence) and PEPIPICO (photoelectron photoion photoion coincidence) spectra. The presence of a moderate site- and element-specific fragmentation effects and its implication regarding chemical reactions were analyzed. The relationship of the current results with the interstellar chemistry is also a goal of this piece of work.     

Determination of absolute photoionization cross‐sections of aromatics and aromatic derivatives

The absolute photoionization cross‐sections of aromatics and aromatic derivatives including toluene, ethylbenzene, n‐propylbenzene, o‐xylene, m‐xylene, p‐xylene, 1,3,5‐trimethylbenzene, styrene, phenylacetylene, indene, indane, 1‐methylnaphthalene, benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde were measured at the photon energy range from ionization thresholds to 11.7 eV. The experiments were performed by tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry. Benzene was chosen as a calibration standard, since its photoionization cross‐section is well known. Binary liquid mixtures of the investigated molecules and benzene were used in the measurements. Photo‐induced fragments from the molecules were also observed, and their photoionization cross‐sections are also presented. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

VUV photon‐induced ionization/dissociation of antipyrine and propyphenazone: mass spectrometric and theoretical insights

Two analgesic and anti‐inflammatory drugs, antipyrine and propyphenazone, were investigated with infrared laser desorption/tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (IR LD/VUV PIMS) and theoretical calculations. Mass spectra of the two drugs were measured at various photon energies. Fragment ions were gradually produced as photon energy increases. The structural assignment of the dominant fragment ions was supported by the results from a commercial electron impact time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (EI‐TOF MS). Primary fragmentation pathways were established from experimental observations combining with theoretical calculations. Methyl radical elimination is a common fragmentation pathway for two analytes. However, for propyphenazone cation, isopropyl group elimination to form antipyrine cation is another competitive pathway. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A thermal decomposition study of polymers by tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry

The thermal decomposition of polymers (poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and polystyrene (PS)) has been studied with synchrotron VUV photoionization mass spectrometry at low pressure. Pyrolysis products formed at different temperatures have been identified by the measurement of photoionization mass spectra at different photon energies. The experimental results demonstrate the variation of the pyrolysis product pool of PVC at different temperatures, dividing the thermal decomposition process into two stages: the low‐temperature stage to form HCl and benzene, and the high‐temperature stage to form numerous large aromatic hydrocarbons. For the thermal decomposition of PS, four reaction categories are determined. This work reports a new application of synchrotron VUV photoionization mass spectrometry in the study of the thermal decomposition of polymers, and demonstrates its good performance in product analysis, which is expected to help understand the thermal decomposition mechanism of PVC, PS and other synthesized polymers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photoionization and photofragmentation of SF6 in helium nanodroplets

The photoionization of He droplets doped with SF6 was investigated using tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation from the Advanced Light Source (ALS). The resulting ionization and photofragmentation dynamics were characterized using time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with photofragment and photoelectron imaging. Results are compared to those of gas-phase SF6 molecules. We find dissociative photoionization to SF5+ to be the dominant channel, in agreement with previous results. Key new findings are that (a) the photoelectron spectrum of the SF6 in the droplet is similar but not identical to that of the gas-phase species, (b) the SF5+ photofragment velocity distribution is considerably slower upon droplet photoionization, and (c) fragmentation to SF4+ and SF3+ is much less than in the photoionization of bare SF6. From these measurements we obtain new insights into the mechanism of SF6 photoionization within the droplet and the cooling of the hot photofragment ions produced by dissociative photoionization.     

Experimental study of laminar lean premixed methylmethacrylate/oxygen/argon flame at low pressure

A fuel-lean laminar premixed methylmethacrylate/oxygen/argon flame at 2.67 kPa with an equivalence ratio (phi) of 0.75 has been investigated with the tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization and molecular beam sampling mass spectrometry techniques. Isomers of most observed species in the flame have been identified by measurements of photoionization mass spectra and the near-threshold photoionization efficiency spectra. Mole fraction profiles for about 42 flame species are displayed. Free radicals such as CH3, C2H3, C2H5, C3H3, C3H5, C2H3O, C4H7, C3H5O, C3H7O, C4H3O, C4H9O, C4H5O2, C4H7O2, and C5H7O2, which should be of importance in understanding the formation mechanism of some toxic substances, were detected in the flame. Moreover, no isomers of any PAHs have been detected in the lean flame. Combined with the mole fraction profiles, the formation mechanisms of the free radicals, oxygenated compounds, and other molecular intermediates are proposed and will provide important information on modeling the combustion kinetics of methylmethacrylate (MMA).     

Thermal decomposition of glycidyl azide polymer studied by synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry

In this work, the thermal decomposition reactions and products of glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) at low pressure have been investigated by tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization and molecular-beam sampling mass spectrometry. It has been observed that thermal decomposition of GAP began at a lower temperature (about 70 degrees C), compared to about 170 degrees C in the air. Most observed species in the thermal decomposition process have been clearly identified by measurements of the photoionization mass spectrum and photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra. Many species have been detected at the initiation of the degradation. Compared with previous studies on thermal decomposition of GAP, some free radicals, such as C2H3O, C3H5O, C6H6N, C3H5ON3, and so forth, have been identified in the present work. The formation mechanisms of some important radicals have been discussed, and the most probable reaction routines have also been proposed, which should be of importance in understanding the energy-releasing mechanism of GAP thermal decomposition.     

Microplasma Discharge Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Source for Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometry

In this paper, we demonstrate the first use of an atmospheric pressure microplasma-based vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization source in atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry applications. The device is a robust, easy-to-operate microhollow cathode discharge (MHCD) that enables generation of VUV photons from Ne and Ne/H₂ gas mixtures. Photons were detected by excitation of a microchannel plate detector and by analysis of diagnostic sample ions using a mass spectrometer. Reactive ions, charged particles, and metastables produced in the discharge were blocked from entering the ionization region by means of a lithium fluoride window, and photoionization was performed in a nitrogen-purged environment. By reducing the output pressure of the MHCD, we observed heightened production of higher-energy photons, making the photoionization source more effective. The initial performance of the MHCD VUV source has been evaluated by ionizing model analytes such as acetone, azulene, benzene, dimethylaniline, and glycine, which were introduced in solid or liquid phase. These molecules represent species with both high and low proton affinities, and ionization energies ranging from 7.12 to 9.7 eV. Figure

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Study on thermal decomposition of polymers by evolved gas analysis using photoionization mass spectrometry (EGA-PIMS)

Photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS) with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light source provides an efficient and fragmentation-free method for the soft ionization of gaseous compounds, in order to facilitate an understanding of thermal decomposition behavior and chemical composition of polymeric materials. The PIMS was applied to the evolved gas analysis (EGA) system equipped with a skimmer interface which is constituted based upon a jet separator principle between a vacuum MS chamber and an atmospheric sample chamber in a furnace. A photoionization source with a deuterium (D₂) lamp was closely installed to the vacuum ionization chamber of a mass spectrometer to improve the ionization efficiency. The thermal decomposition of typical polymers in inert gas atmosphere was investigated by the EGA-PIMS and the resulting PI mass spectrum was characterized satisfactorily by only the parent ions with no contribution as a result of fragmentation during the ionization. The results suggested that the EGA-PIMS was an especially powerful and desirable in situ thermal analysis method for polymeric materials which evolve organic gases simultaneously and concurrently. The combination of EGA equipped with skimmer interface with no change of evolved gaseous species and PIMS with fragmentation-free during the ionization is described briefly, and the effective results are presented by comparing with EGA using conventional electron impact ionization mass spectrometry.     

Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization and photoelectron studies in the new millennium: recent developments and applications

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy have played a central role in providing energetic and spectroscopic information for neutrals and cations. The most important data obtainable in a VUV photoionization and photoelectron experiment are ionization energies and 0 K ion dissociation thresholds or appearance energy (AE), from which 0 K bond dissociation energies for neutrals and cations can be deduced. The recent developments in VUV lasers and third-generation synchrotron sources, together with the introduction of the pulsed-field ionization (PFI), photoelectron (PFI-PE), and PFI-photoion (PFI-PI) methods, have revolutionized the field of photoelectron and ion spectroscopy by significantly improving the energy resolution to the range of 0.025–1.0 meV (full width at half maximum, FWHM). These resolutions, which make possible the measurement of photoelectron spectra for many simple molecules at the rotational-resolved level, are ≈100-fold better than those observed in traditional photoelectron studies, making the PFI-PE technique a true spectroscopic method. The recent introduction of the synchrotron-based PFI-PEPICO scheme has shown that AE values for a range of molecules can be determined with an unprecedented precision limited only by the PFI-PE measurement. The synchrotron-based PFI-PEPICO and PFI-PI schemes show great promises for future studies of state- or energy-selected ion-dissociation dynamics and energy-selected ion-molecule reaction dynamics. Further improvement in energy resolution for PFI-PE and PFI-PI measurements has been demonstrated using the two-color photo-induced Rydberg ionization (PIRI) spectroscopic scheme, which involves the photo-induced ionization of intermediate long-lived high-n ( n≥100) Rydberg states. The incorporation of this method by VUV photoexcitation to prepare intermediate high-n ( n≥100) Rydberg states is also expected to greatly increase the energy range of PFI studies. The availability of this array of laser- and synchrotron-based PFI methods, including PFI-PE, PFI-PEPICO, PFI-PI, PFI-ion-pair, and PIRI schemes, ensures an exciting and bright future for VUV photoionization and photoelectron studies in the new millennium.     

Direct identification of propargyl radical in combustion flames by vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry

We have developed an effusive laser photodissociation radical source, aiming for the production of vibrationally relaxed radicals. Employing this radical source, we have measured the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectrum of the propargyl radical (C(3)H(3)) formed by the 193 nm excimer laser photodissociation of propargyl chloride in the energy range of 8.5-9.9 eV using high-resolution (energy bandwidth = 1 meV) multibunch synchrotron radiation. The VUV-PIE spectrum of C(3)H(3) thus obtained is found to exhibit pronounced autoionization features, which are tentatively assigned as members of two vibrational progressions of C(3)H(3) in excited autoionizing Rydberg states. The ionization energy (IE = 8.674 +/- 0.001 eV) of C(3)H(3) determined by a small steplike feature resolved at the photoionization onset of the VUV-PIE spectrum is in excellent agreement with the IE value reported in a previous pulsed field ionization-photoelectron study. We have also calculated the Franck-Condon factors (FCFs) for the photoionization transitions C(3)H(3) (+)(X;nu(i),i = 1-12)<--C(3)H(3)(X). The comparison between the pattern of FCFs and the autoionization peaks resolved in the VUV-PIE spectrum of C(3)H(3) points to the conclusion that the resonance-enhanced autoionization mechanism is most likely responsible for the observation of pronounced autoionization features. We also present here the VUV-PIE spectra for the mass 39 ions observed in the VUV synchrotron-based photoionization mass spectrometric sampling of several premixed flames. The excellent agreement of the IE value and the pattern of autoionizing features of the VUV-PIE spectra observed in the photodissociation and flames studies has provided an unambiguous identification of the propargyl radical as an important intermediate in the premixed combustion flames. The discrepancy found between the PIE spectra obtained in flames and photodissociation at energies above the IE(C(3)H(3)) suggests that the PIE spectra obtained in flames might have contributions from the photoionization of vibrationally excited C(3)H(3) and/or the dissociative photoionization processes involving larger hydrocarbon species formed in flames.     

A vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer with high sensitivity for study of gas-phase radical reaction in a flow tube

Photoionization mass spectrometry as a powerful analytical method has been widely utilized and provided valuable insight in the field of gas-phase reactions. Here, a highly sensitive vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer combined with a microwave discharge generator and a fast flow tube reactor has been developed to study radical reactions of atmospheric and combustion interests. Two kinds of continuous light sources, the tunable VUV synchrotron radiation at Hefei, China for isomer-specific product detection and a commercial krypton discharge lamp for time-consuming kinetic measurements, are employed as photoionization sources in the apparatus. A multiplexed detection with high sensitivity (the limit of detection ∼0.8 ppb) and high mass resolution (M/ΔM ∼ 2100) has been approached. As representative examples, the self-reaction of the methyl radical, CH₃, and the reaction of the methyl radical with molecular oxygen are studied and multiple species including reactive radicals and isomeric/isobaric products are detected and identified. In addition, some preliminary results related to the reaction kinetics are also presented.     

Size dependence of inner-shell autoionization lines in mercury clusters

Inner-shell photoionization spectra of Hg_n clusters (n8) have been obtained with a molecular beam experiment using synchrotron radiation from the VUV storage ring at Orsay. The photoionization spectra exhibit two strong autoionization resonances which are red-shifted with increasing cluster size. The present results are compared with solid-state experimental data which indicate that the clusters (Hg₈) do not yet have metallic character.     

Photoionization Mass Spectrometry: A Useful Method to Evaluate the Pyrolysis Process of Glycoside Flavor Precursor

The thermal decomposition behavior and the pyrolysis products of benzyl‐2,3,4,6‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (BGLU) were studied with synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry at temperatures of 300, 500 and 700 °C at 0.062 Pa. Several pyrolysis products and intermediates were identified by the measurement of photoionization mass spectra at different photon energies. The results indicated that the primary decomposition reaction was the cleavage of O‐glycosidic bond of the glycoside at low temperature, proven by the discoveries of benzyloxy radical (m/z = 107) and glycon radical (m/z = 331) in mass spectra. As pyrolysis temperature increased from 300 to 700 °C, two possible pyrolytic modes were observed. This work reported an application of synchrotron VUV photoionization mass spectrometry in the study of the thermal decomposition of glycoside flavor precursor, which was expected to help understand the thermal decomposition mechanism of this type of compound. The possibility of this glycoside to be used as a flavor precursor in high temperature process was evaluated.     

Vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization of small methanol and methanol-water clusters

In this work, we report on the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization of small methanol and methanol-water clusters. Clusters of methanol with water are generated via co-expansion of the gas phase constituents in a continuous supersonic jet expansion of methanol and water seeded in Ar. The resulting clusters are investigated by single photon ionization with tunable vacuum-ultraviolet synchrotron radiation and mass analyzed using reflectron mass spectrometry. Protonated methanol clusters of the form (CH3OH)nH(+) (n = 1-12) dominate the mass spectrum below the ionization energy of the methanol monomer. With an increase in water concentration, small amounts of mixed clusters of the form (CH3OH)n(H2O)H(+) (n = 2-11) are detected. The only unprotonated species observed in this work are the methanol monomer and dimer. Appearance energies are obtained from the photoionization efficiency (PIE) curves for CH3OH(+), (CH3OH)2(+), (CH3OH)nH(+) (n = 1-9), and (CH3OH)n(H2O)H(+) (n = 2-9) as a function of photon energy. With an increase in the water content in the molecular beam, there is an enhancement of photoionization intensity for the methanol dimer and protonated methanol monomer at threshold. These results are compared and contrasted to previous experimental observations.     

The characterization of selected drugs with infrared laser desorption/tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry

Some selected drugs including captopril, fudosteine and racecadotril have been analyzed by infrared (IR) laser desorption/tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS). The molecular ions of captopril and racecadotril are exclusively observed without any fragments at near threshold single-photon ionization (SPI). However, fudosteine easily forms fragments even at a photon energy near the ionization threshold, indicating the instability of its molecular ion. For these drugs, a number of fragments are yielded with the increase of photon energy. The structures of such fragments proposed by IR LD/VUV PIMS are supported by electron ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (EI-TOFMS) results. Fragmentation pathways are discussed in detail.     

环氧乙烷的真空紫外同步辐射光电离与光解离

利用真空紫外同步辐射和自制的飞行时间质谱（TOF－MS）仪,研究了环氧乙烷的光电离与光解离过程,通过测量各离子的光电高效率（PIE）曲线,获得了该分子的电离势和所有碎片离子的出现势．分析了离子的光电离解离通道,并讨论了它们的竞争情况．结合有关公认的热力学数据,算出它们的标准生成焓．