Effect of eluent on the ionization process in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The most widely used ionization techniques in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) are electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI). All three provide user friendly coupling of LC to MS. Achieving optimal LC-MS conditions is not always easy, however, owing to the complexity of ionization processes and the many parameters affecting mass spectrometric sensitivity and chromatographic performance. The selection of eluent composition requires particular attention since a solvent that is optimal for analyte ionization often does not provide acceptable retention and resolution in LC. Compromises must then be made between ionization and chromatographic separation efficiencies. The review presents an overview of studies concerning the effect of eluent composition on the ionization efficiency of ESI, APCI and APPI in LC-MS. Solvent characteristics are discussed in the light of ionization theories, and selected analytical applications are described. The aim is to provide practical background information for the development and optimization of LC-MS methods.     

Green's function calculations on the complete valence ionization spectra of HF,HCl, HBr AND HI

The ionization spectra of the entire valence region are calculated for HF, HCl, HBr and HI. For the two ionization processes of lowest energy the common molecular orbital picture of ionization applies, whereas this picture breaks down for ionization from the inner valence α-orbital. For HF and HCl basis set effects on the calculated outer-valence ionization energies are investigated and accurate values are computed using large basis sets. The calculated inner valence ionization spectra are compared with recent (e, 2e)-measurements.     

Photoelectron angular distribution in valence shell ionization of heteroaromatic molecules studied by the continuum multiple scattering xalpha method

Photoelectron angular distributions are calculated for the valence shell ionization of heteroaromatic molecules of pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyrrole, and furan by the continuum multiple scattering Xalpha method. The asymmetry parameters exhibit strong energy dependences in ionization from pi orbitals but are almost invariant in ionization from sigma orbitals, in good agreement with experimental results. The asymmetry parameters in ionization from nonbonding orbitals appear generally higher than those in ionization from bonding orbitals. These features are interpreted in terms of the Coulomb phase and photoelectron angular distribution in the molecular frame.     

Configuration interaction calculations of the valence ionization energies of the water dimer

The eight vertical valence ionization energies of the water dimer are calculated by the ΔCI method. Excellent agreement with measurements of the first and second ionization energies is found. Calculations of the remaining six ionization energies is found. Calculations of the remaining six ionization energies are sufficiently accurate to be of value in the identification and assignment of the dimer photoelectron spectrum.     

薄层色谱与质谱联用的研究进展

薄层色谱(TLC)是一类非常实用的液相色谱方法,由于其装置简单、操作便捷、灵活、通量高、成本低,以及样品前处理简单等优点,在许多行业的检测中都有广泛的应用并扮演着重要的角色。随着现代检测技术的不断发展以及各种检测技术综合应用程度的加深,薄层色谱与质谱的联用(TLC-MS)也成为这一方法的重要发展方向。随着我国医药、食品、科学仪器等事业的不断发展和升级,相信薄层色谱-质谱联用技术可以起到更好的作用,并迎来发展的契机。该综述将目前薄层色谱-质谱的联用形式分为3类,一是接口仪器的间接联用,二是质谱对薄层板的原位检测,三是质谱对薄层分离过程的实时监测,并按此分类对典型的联用形式进行了总结和简要描述。随着薄层色谱-生物自显影技术的广泛使用,薄层色谱与质谱联用的技术方法极大地提高了食品、药用生物活性物质的研发效率。目前,薄层色谱与质谱联用发展的主要瓶颈是“即插即用”型部件的设计和商品化。具有实时监测功能,同时又兼备灵活扫描功能和高通量特点的TLC-MS技术也很令人期待。此外,不同种类TLC-MS解吸-电离技术的对比研究也是有待讨论的应用问题。     

Forensic applications of ambient ionization mass spectrometry

This review highlights and critically assesses forensic applications in the developing field of ambient ionization mass spectrometry. Ambient ionization methods permit the ionization of samples outside the mass spectrometer in the ordinary atmosphere, with minimal sample preparation. Several ambient ionization methods have been created since 2004 and they utilize different mechanisms to create ions for mass-spectrometric analysis. Forensic applications of these techniques—to the analysis of toxic industrial compounds, chemical warfare agents, illicit drugs and formulations, explosives, foodstuff, inks, fingerprints, and skin—are reviewed. The minimal sample pretreatment needed is illustrated with examples of analysis from complex matrices (e.g., food) on various substrates (e.g., paper). The low limits of detection achieved by most of the ambient ionization methods for compounds of forensic interest readily offer qualitative confirmation of chemical identity; in some cases quantitative data are also available. The forensic applications of ambient ionization methods are a growing research field and there are still many types of applications which remain to be explored, particularly those involving on-site analysis. Aspects of ambient ionization currently undergoing rapid development include molecular imaging and increased detection specificity through simultaneous chemical reaction and ionization by addition of appropriate chemical reagents.     

Influence of clustering and molecular orbital shapes on the ionization enhancement in ammonia

The Coulomb explosion of clusters is known to be an efficient source for producing multiply charged ions through an enhanced ionization process. However, the factors responsible for obtaining these high charge states have not been previously explored in detail and remain poorly understood. By comparing intensity-resolved visible laser excitation experiments with semi-classical theory over a range spanning both multiphoton and tunneling ionization regimes, we reveal the mechanism in which extreme ionization proceeds. Under laser conditions that can only singly ionize individual molecules, ammonia clusters generate ions depleted of all valence electrons. The geometries of the molecular orbitals are revealed to be important in driving the ionization, and can be entirely emptied at the energy requirement for removal of the first electron in the orbital. The results are in accord with non-sequential ionization arising from electrons tunneling from three separate molecular orbitals aided through the ionization ignition mechanism.     

飞行时间质谱仪新技术的进展及应用

本文介绍了近几年来发展应用于飞行时间质谱(TOF-MS)仪中的软电离技术。质子转移电离实现了可挥发性有机物的高灵敏度分析;真空紫外灯电离源体积小、简单,利于便携式仪器;电喷雾解吸电离在线、无损和灵敏度高,在公共安全方面具有很大的发展潜力,而且还可以直接用于活的生物体表面分析;大气压下的在线直接分析电离技术利用载气分子的激发态使得被分析化合物电离得到分子离子。针对不同的电离方法简单评述了其性能及应用,同时介绍了飞行时间质谱在串联方面的新发展,以及TOF-MS在仪器微型化方面的进展及其应用,并对飞行时间质谱仪今后的发展作了展望。     

Delocalized electronic behavior observed in transition metal oxide clusters under strong-field excitation

Heterogeneously composed clusters are exposed to intensity resolved, 100 fs laser pulses to reveal the energy requirements for the production of the high charge states of both metal and nonmetal ions. The ionization and fragmentation of group V transition metal oxide clusters are here examined with laser intensities ranging nearly four orders in magnitude (～3 × 10(11) W/cm(2) to ～2 × 10(15) W/cm(2)) at 624 nm. The ionization potentials of the metal atoms are measured using both multiphoton ionization and tunneling ionization models. We demonstrate that the intensity selective scanning method can be utilized to measure the low ionization potentials of transition metals (～7 eV). The high charge states demonstrate an enhancement in ionization that is three orders of magnitude lower in laser intensity than predicted for the atomic counterparts. Finally, the response from the various metals and the oxygen is compared to elucidate the mechanism of enhanced ionization that is observed. Specifically, the sequence of ion appearances demonstrates delocalized electron behavior over the entire cluster.     

真空紫外光电离质谱技术进展及其在快速分析中的应用

真空紫外光电离源(VUV-PI)是一种普适性的质谱软电离源,真空紫外光电离质谱谱图无碎片、易解析、灵敏度高,适合于在线快速分析.真空紫外光电离质谱根据分析对象不同可以直接采用单光子电离或添加掺杂剂实现化学电离,能实现气、液、固体分析,也可实现成像分析.该文介绍了真空紫外光电离源的电离原理、光源类型,分析了光电离质谱灵敏...     

Surface ionization of terpene hydrocarbons

By means of a surface ionization indicator for traces of materials in the atmosphere it has been established that many natural materials containing terpenes and their derivatives are ionized on the surface of heated molybdenum oxide at atmospheric air pressure. A mass-spectrometer method has been used to explain the mechanism of ionization of individual terpene hydrocarbons and to establish its principles. The ionization of -pinene, alloocimene, camphene, and also adamantane on oxidized tungsten under vacuum conditions has been investigated. The -pinene and alloocimene are ionized by surface ionization but camphene and adamantane are not ionized under vacuum conditions. The surface ionization mass spectra of -pinene and alloocimene are of low line brightness in comparison with electron ionization mass spectra and differ between themselves. The temperature relations for currents of the same compositions of ions during ionization of a-pinene and alloocimene are also different, which leads to the possibility of surface ionization analysis of mixtures of terpenes being ionized. The ionization coefficients of alloocimene and -pinene on oxidized tungsten under temperatures optimum for ionization and the ionization potentials of alloocimene molecules and of radicals (M-H) of both compounds have been evaluated. The routes of monomolecular decompositions of metastable vibrationally excited ions have been followed. An explanation has been given for the difference in ionization capacities of different terpenes and the possibility of surface ionization of many hydrocarbons of a certain structure has been considered.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 180–188, March–April, 1986.     

Construction of a versatile high precision ambient ionization source for direct analysis and imaging

The design and construction of a high precision ambient ionization source matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (MALDESI) are described in full detail, including a complete parts list. The computer controlled high precision motion control system and high repetition rate Explorer laser are demonstrated during MALDESI-FT-ICR analysis of peptides and proteins ranging from 1 to 17 kDa. The high stability ionization source platform described herein demonstrates both the advantages of the new MALDESI source and versatility for application to numerous desorption and ionization techniques.     

Sites of protonation in phenothiazines: Methane and ammonia chemical ionization mass spectra

Positive ion methane and ammonia chemical ionization mass spectra for ten phenothiazine derivatives are reported. The fragmentations observed in the chemical ionization mass spectra are rationalized in terms of the location of the added proton. High-resolution measurements are used to confirm empirical formulae of the ions in the mass spectra. Changes in the mass spectra with a change in the chemical ionization reagent gas from methane to ammonia are described. A comparison with positive ion secondary ion mass spectra of the same compounds show that the amount of fragmentation is higher in the secondary ion mass spectra, but the same types of ions are observed in spectra produced by both ionization methods.     

N2分子在强激光场中的场致电离

研究了在强激光脉冲中各种不同取向的N2分子发生场致电离的电离几率和表观电离效率.用量子化学方法计算了N2+分子离子在各种不同取向上的势能曲线,然后用传递矩阵方法得到了N2分子在不同方向上的电离几率,经过角度平均之后得到了各种取向的所有N2分子的总电离几率,并对计算结果进行了激光时间和空间修正.用800nm和70fs的激光脉冲对N2分子进行了在强激光场中的电离实验,得到了N2分子电离后产生的电子的角度分布图和电离几率随激光功率密度变化的关系曲线.实验结果和理论计算结果符合得很好.     

An Evaluation of the Average Heats of Ionization of Reduced and Oxidized Horse Heart Cytochrome c

Abstract

Evaluation of the average heats of ionization ΔH_i.) for oxidized and reduced horse heart cytochrome c reveals that the heats of ionization for both redox species as a function of pH are identical within the precision of the method. Since this result is obtained in spite of the differences in the numbers of groups titrated in the two forms of the protein, the redox forms must have the same heats of ionization per group titrated. When the heats of ionization are plotted as a function of the groups titrated, the differences are more clearly seen. For proteins with one or two imidazoyl ionizations between many carboxyl and ?-amino ionizations, there is no clearly indicated plateau and the heats of ionization of the imidazole groups of histidines cannot be obtained by this procedure. The analysis is, however, useful for eliminating heats of ionization which are abnormal since the shape of the calculated curves are at variance with the experimental data.     

飞行时间型质量分析器(TOFMS)的研制及应用

自行研制了电子碰撞离子化的飞行时间型质量分析器（ＴＯＦＭＳ），用于物质的化学分析。用研制的ＴＯＦＭＳ测量了Ａｒ离子化的飞行时间谱和离子的部分电离截面积比与碰撞电子能量的依赖关系，将它与Ｓｔｅｐｓｈａｎ等人的实验结果进行了比较。     

介质阻挡放电离子源质谱分析

敞开式离子化质谱可对表面样品进行直接快速分析而受到关注,成为质谱分析的热点研究方向.介质阻挡放电离子源是一种基于等离子体放电机理的敞开式离子源,近年来得到了较快的发展.本文着重介绍该离子源的基本原理、性能特征以及应用进展,并对其发展趋势进行了展望.     

Electron ionization of SiCl4

Relative partial ionization cross sections (PICS) for the formation of fragment ions following electron ionization of SiCl(4), in the electron energy range 30-200 eV, have been determined using time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with an ion coincidence technique. By this method, the contributions to the yield of each fragment ion from dissociative single, double, and triple ionization, are distinguished. These yields are quantified in the form of relative precursor-specific PICS, which are reported here for the first time for SiCl(4). For the formation of singly charged ionic fragments, the low-energy maxima appearing in the PICS curves are due to contributions from single ionization involving predominantly indirect ionization processes, while contributions to the yields of these ions at higher electron energies are often dominated by dissociative double ionization. Our data, in the reduced form of relative PICS, are shown to be in good agreement with a previous determination of the PICS of SiCl(4). Only for the formation of doubly charged fragment ions are the current relative PICS values lower than those measured in a previous study, although both datasets agree within combined error limits. The relative PICS data presented here include the first quantitative measurements of the formation of Cl(2) (+) fragment ions and of the formation of ion pairs via dissociative double ionization. The peaks appearing in the 2D ion coincidence data are analyzed to provide further information concerning the mechanism and energetics of the charge-separating dissociations of SiCl(4) (2+). The lowest energy dicationic precursor state, leading to SiCl(3) (+) + Cl(+) formation, lies 27.4 ± 0.3 eV above the ground state of SiCl(4) and is in close agreement with a calculated value of the adiabatic double ionization energy (27.3 eV).     

Coherent correlation between nonadiabatic rotational excitation and angle-dependent ionization of NO in intense laser fields

We investigate coherent correlation between nonadiabatic rotational excitation and angle-dependent ionization of NO in intense laser fields in the state-resolved manner. When neutral NO molecules are partly ionized in intense laser fields (I(0) > 35 TW/cm(2)), a hole in the rotational wave packet of the remaining neutral NO is created because of the ionization rate depending on the alignment angle of the molecular axis with respect to the laser polarization direction. Rotational state distributions of NO are experimentally observed, and then the characteristic feature that the population at higher J levels is increased by the ionization can be identified. Numerical calculation for solving time-dependent rotational Schro?dinger equations including the effect of the ionization is carried out. The numerical results suggest that NO molecules aligned perpendicular to the laser polarization direction are dominantly ionized at the peak intensity of I(0) = 42 TW/cm(2), where the multiphoton ionization is preferred rather than the tunneling ionization.     

Calculated vertical ionization energies of the common α-amino acids in the gas phase and in solution

The vertical ionization energies of the low-lying conformers of the α-amino acids found in proteins have been calculated. Geometry optimizations were first performed at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory, and then reoptimized at the MP2/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. Vertical ionization energies were then computed by three methods, electron propagator in the partial third-order (P3) approximation, Outer-Valence-Green's Functions, and by evaluating the difference in the total energy between the cation radical and the neutral amino acid in the geometry of the neutral species. When available, the results are compared to the experimental vertical ionization energies. The vertical ionization energies calculated using the MP2/P3 method gave the best overall agreement with the experimental results. Next, the ionization energies in solution are calculated for the zwitterionic forms of the α-amino acids by using IEFPCM methods. To obtain the vertical ionization energy in solution, it is necessary to use the nonequilibrium polarizable continuum model (NEPCM), the results of which are reported here for the α-amino acids.