Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry: a tool for the identification and quantitication of abscisic acid glucosyl ester

Summary LC/ESI-tandem MS techniques have been applied to the analysis of endogenous abscisic acid glucosyl ester (ABA-GE). By parent ion scanning (m/z 263) and constant neutral loss (162u) experiments, endogenous ABA-GE could be identified in extracts from wilted leaves ofPhaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Jutta. Using ABA-[6′-D₂]GE as internal standard, the endogenous content of ABA-GE in wilted leaves ofPhaseolus vulgaris L. could be estimated by parent ion scanning ofm/z 263. From the signals of the [M-H]⁻-ions of ABA-GE (m/z 425) and ABA-[6′-D₂]GE (m/z 427) obtained, the amount of the endogenous conjugate was calculated to be 280±9 ng ABA-GE/g plant material. This is the first accurate method for the direct quantification of ABA-GE as intact compound at endogenous levels. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996     

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of mequindox and its metabolites in porcine tissues

A rapid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the simultaneous determination of mequindox and its five metabolites (2-isoethanol mequindox, 2-isoethanol 1-desoxymequindox, 1-desoxymequindox, 1,4-bisdesoxymequindox, and 2-isoethanol bisdesoxymequindox) in porcine muscle, liver, and kidney, fulfilling confirmation criteria with two transitions for each compound with acceptable relative ion intensities. The method involved acid hydrolysis, purification by solid-phase extraction, and subsequent analysis with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization operated in positive polarity with a total run time of 15 min. The decision limit values of five analytes in porcine tissues ranged from 0.6 to 2.9 μg/kg, and the detection capability values ranged from 1.2 to 5.7 μg/kg. The results of the inter-day study, which was performed by fortifying porcine muscle (2, 4, and 8 μg/kg), liver, and kidney (10, 20, and 40 μg/kg) samples on three separate days, showed that the accuracy of the method for the various analytes ranged between 75.3 and 107.2% with relative standard deviation less than 12% for each analyte.     

Quantitative analysis of clavulanic acid in porcine tissues by liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a method for the determination of clavulanic acid (CLAV) residues in edible tissues of swine by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). After a simple extraction of CLAV using an aqueous phosphate buffer solution of pH 6.0, an ultrafiltration step was performed for protein removal. Chromatography of CLAV and the internal standard tazobactam (TAZO) was achieved on a reversed-phase PLRP-S polymeric column (150 mm × 2.1 mm i.d., 100 Å) using a mixture of 0.05 (v/v)% formic acid in water and acetonitrile. The mass spectrometer was operated in the MS/MS selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The method was validated for the analysis of porcine muscle, skin plus fat, liver and kidney, according to the requirements defined by the European Community. Calibration curves were prepared for all tissues and good linearity was achieved over the concentration ranges tested (correlation coefficient ≥0.99 and goodness-of-fit coefficient ≤10%). Limits of quantification of 50 ng g⁻¹ were obtained for the analysis of CLAV in the various tissues which corresponds in all cases to at least half the maximum residue limits (MRLs). Limits of detection ranged between 8.0 and 15.14 ng g⁻¹. The within-day, between-day precisions and trueness fell within the ranges specified in the EMEA/CVMP/573-00/FINAL document. Biological samples from pigs that received an oral or intravenous bolus of a commercial amoxicillin/clavulanic acid formulation were analyzed using the described method.     

Analysis of amicarbazone and its two metabolites in grains and soybeans by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive, simple and reliable analytical method based on a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe sample preparation and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of amicarbazone and its two major metabolites desamino amicarbazone and isopropyl‐2‐hydroxy‐desamino amicarbazone residues in grains (rice, wheat, corn, buckwheat) and soybean. Several parameters, including liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry conditions, extraction approaches and the adsorbents for clean‐up, which might influence the accuracy of the method, were extensively investigated. The established method was further validated by determining the linearity (R² > 0.99), fortified recovery (79–118%), precision (1–12%) and sensitivity (limit of quantification, 5 μg/kg for amicarbazone and desamino amicarbazone, and 10 μg/kg for isopropyl‐2‐hydroxy‐desamino amicarbazone). Finally, the established method was successfully applied to determine the residues of amicarbazone and its metabolites in 49 real samples of grain and soybean.     

Separation and identification of oligomeric ethyl silicates by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Reversed‐phase liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to study the molecular structures of components and molar mass distributions in ethyl silicate‐40, a versatile liquid precursor for silicon‐based materials. Identity testing by standard spectroscopic techniques showed that a commercial sample of ethyl silicate‐40 was composed of linear/branched ethoxysiloxane oligomers with the silicon atoms ranging from 2 to 12 together with minor monocyclic species. Analysis of the sample by liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection resulted in an elution profile consisting of a series of peak clusters. Peak identification showed that the linear/branched homologous series of oligomers were eluted in the order of increasing number of silicon atoms in the molecules and the time duration (width) of the resulting peak clusters increased in the same fashion corresponding to increasing number of geometric isomers. In addition, small amounts of monocyclic oligomers present in the sample were found to be less retained than each linear/branched counterpart. Finally, the molar mass distribution parameters for ethyl silicate‐40 determined by the developed method were in good agreement with the literature values. Overall, this work demonstrates that reversed‐phase liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is an indispensable tool for the comprehensive characterization of complex mixtures of this type.     

Residue determination of glyphosate, glufosinate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in water and soil samples by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

This paper describes a method for the sensitive and selective determination of glyphosate, glufosinate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) residues in water and soil samples. The method involves a derivatization step with 9-fluorenylmethylchloroformate (FMOC) in borate buffer and detection based on liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). In the case of water samples a volume of 10 mL was derivatized and then 4.3 mL of the derivatized mixture was directly injected in an on-line solid phase extraction (SPE)-LC-MS/MS system using an OASIS HLB cartridge column and a Discovery chromatographic column. Soil samples were firstly extracted with potassium hydroxide. After that, the aqueous extract was 10-fold diluted with water and 2 mL were derivatized. Then, 50 microL of the derivatized 10-fold diluted extract were injected into the LC-MS/MS system without pre-concentration into the SPE cartridge. The method has been validated in both ground and surface water by recovery studies with samples spiked at 50 and 500 ng/L, and also in soil samples, spiked at 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg. In water samples, the mean recovery values ranged from 89 to 106% for glyphosate (RSD <9%), from 97 to 116% for AMPA (RSD < 10%), and from 72 to 88% in the case of glufosinate (RSD < 12%). Regarding soil samples, the mean recovery values ranged from 90 to 92% for glyphosate (RSD <7%), from 88 to 89% for AMPA (RSD <5%) and from 83 to 86% for glufosinate (RSD <6%). Limits of quantification for all the three compounds were 50 ng/L and 0.05 mg/kg in water and soil, respectively, with limits of detection as low as 5 ng/L, in water, and 5 microg/kg, in soil. The use of labelled glyphosate as internal standard allowed improving the recovery and precision for glyphosate and AMPA, while it was not efficient for glufosinate, that was quantified by external standards calibration. The method developed has been applied to the determination of these compounds in real water and soil samples from different areas. All the detections were confirmed by acquiring two transitions for each compound.     

Residue determination of cyromazine and its metabolite melamine in chard samples by ion-pair liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A method has been developed for the sensitive and selective determination of cyromazine and its metabolite melamine in chard samples. Both compounds are small polar basic molecules, making their determination at residue levels complicated. The method involves an extraction procedure with phosphate buffer and methanol using high-speed blender, the addition of tridecafluoroheptanoic acid (TFHA) as ion-pair reagent and the injection of the five-fold diluted extract on liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS). The method has been validated for chard samples, spiked at 0.05 and 0.5 mg kg⁻¹. Quantification was carried out by using matrix-matched standards calibration and recoveries were satisfactory, with mean values for cyromazine of 103% and 93%, and relative standard deviations lower than 7%. In the case of melamine, recoveries were 89% and 86%, with relative standard deviations lower than 13%. A limit of quantification of 0.05 mg kg⁻¹ was obtained for both compounds, with the limit of detection below 0.01 mg kg⁻¹. The method, with very little sample handling and good sensitivity, was applied to the rapid determination of low residue levels of these compounds in chards from field residue trials. All the quality controls included during the analysis were satisfactory with average recoveries of 92% and 78% for cyromazine and melamine, respectively.     

Analytical study on ethephon residue determination in water by ion-pairing liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A detailed analytical study on ethephon residue determination in water, making use of ion-pairing liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), has been carried out. Ethephon is a plant growth regulator, highly polar, which is typically present in aqueous solution in anionic form due to its acid character. Both its extraction and pre-concentration from water samples and its chromatographic retention are difficult. Several approaches for sample pretreatment have been tested including direct injection into the chromatographic system, on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) and off-line SPE, with the best results being obtained after off-line SPE, using Oasis MAX cartridges (mixed-mode strong anion-exchange). After testing several ion-pairing reagents, tetrabuthylammonium acetate (TBA) was selected. This was added to the samples before LC/MS/MS analysis to facilitate ethephon chromatographic retention. The acquisition of several specific MS/MS transitions together with the evaluation of their relative intensity ratios allowed the reliable confirmation of the analyte in samples. The optimised approach was tested in low-salinity water spiked at 0.1?µg?L^?1 level with satisfactory recovery, and a limit of detection of 0.02?µg?L^?1. To this purpose, the water sample was partially de-ionised in an initial stage, in order to remove major ions that would have interfered in analyses. The application of this methodology to more saline/complex water samples, as surface or wastewater, was problematic and a thorough optimisation of the de-ionisation conditions would be required.     

Evaluation and determination of the cyclofructans–amino acid complex binding pattern by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The noncovalent complex interactions between cyclofructans, a new class of cyclic oligosaccharide hosts, and various amino acids have been characterized by means of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. The 1 : 1 stoichiometry of cyclofructans and amino acid complexes was confirmed by their mass‐to‐charge ratio in positive mode. Cyclofructans (CFs)–amino acid complexes and cyclodextrin–amino acid complexes exhibited distinctive different fragment behaviors in collision‐induced dissociation experiments. Coupled with the results of ¹H NMR and nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy, cyclofructan–amino acid complexes were deduced to be rim complexes via formation hydrogen bonding and ion–dipole forces. The interaction pattern could be controlled by changing the pH condition. In neutral solution, amino acids are located on the positive side of CFs, although moved to the negative side pocket constructed by 3‐OH oxygen of furanose ring and the crown ether oxygen in acid condition. In addition, theory calculation for geometry optimization of Trp and CFs was performed, which was in good agreement with the experimental results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of fatty acid positions in native lipid A by positive and negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Lipid A is the endotoxic principle of the lipopolysaccharide fraction from Gram-negative bacteria. It is involved in the elicitation of cytokine production that leads to massive inflammation and to septic shock as a lethal consequence. For this reason, the structural elucidation of lipopolysaccharides from toxic Gram-negative bacteria is an important and complicated task, mainly owing to its natural heterogeneity. Here, a new methodology to infer the distribution of the primary and secondary acyl residues is described, based on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) of intact lipid A under high cone voltage in order to achieve in-source fragmentation. Under these conditions, acyl fragmentation is induced and a different regioselective cleavage of secondary fatty acids is observed in positive and negative ESI-MS, allowing the rapid identification of the lipid A structure.     

Separation and determination of alkylglycosides by liquid chromatography with electrospray mass spectrometric detection

The separation of alkylpolyglycosides by liquid chromatography with electrospray mass spectrometric detection, using either an alkylamide or a cyanopropyl column, and acetonitrile/water mixtures as mobile phases, was developed. Using the alkylamide column and isocratic elution, the α- and β-epimers and ring isomers (pyranosides and furanosides) of the alkylmonoglycosides were resolved. The ring isomers were also resolved in a much shorter time using the cyanopropyl column with gradient elution. Using these columns, the isomers of the alkyldiglycosides and alkyltriglycosides were also partially resolved. The equilibration time was much shorter with the cyanopropyl column, which was selected to perform quantitation studies. The response factors increased more than an order of magnitude with the length of the alkyl chain, from the methyl to the decylmonoglycoside, and decrease largely for the dodecyl and tetradecylmonoglycoside. The limits of detection were of ca. 25 μM from the hexyl up to the dodecylmonoglycoside. The procedures were applied to the characterisation and determination of alkylmonoglycosides in toiletries.     

Simultaneous determination of ten antiepileptic drugs in human plasma by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry with positive/negative ion‐switching electrospray ionization and its application in therapeutic drug monitoring

A simple, rapid, and high‐throughput liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantitation of ten antiepileptic drugs in human plasma has been developed and validated. The method required only 10 μL of plasma. After simple protein precipitation using acetonitrile, the analytes and internal standard diphenhydramine were separated on a Zorbax SB‐C₁₈ column (50 × 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm) using acetonitrile/water as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. The total run time was 6 min for each sample. The validation results of specificity, matrix effects, recovery, linearity, precision, and accuracy were satisfactory. The lower limit of quantification was 0.04 μg/mL for carbamazepine, 0.02 μg/mL for lamotrigine, 0.01 μg/mL for oxcarbazepine, 0.4 μg/mL for 10‐hydroxycarbazepine, 0.1 μg/mL for carbamazepine‐10,11‐epoxide, 0.15 μg/mL for levetiracetam, 0.06 μg/mL for phenytoin, 0.3 μg/mL for valproic acid, 0.03 μg/mL for topiramate, and 0.15 μg/mL for phenobarbital. The intraday precision and interday precision were less than 7.6%, with the accuracy ranging between –8.1 and 7.9%. The method was successfully applied to therapeutic drug monitoring of 1237 patients with epilepsy after administration of standard antiepileptic drugs. The method has been proved to meet the high‐throughput requirements in therapeutic drug monitoring.     

Positive mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of bisphosphonates using dicationic and tricationic ion-pairing agents

A general method for detecting bisphosphonate drugs by ESI-MS and LC-ESI-MS as positive ions has been developed. Bisphosphonates can have multiple negative charges in solution. Tricationic ion-pairing reagents were paired with bisphosphonates to form a positively charged complex. It was clear that this facile pairing method worked. However, an appreciable presence of −1 bisphosphonate species were observed in positive mode ESI-MS (i.e. as the +2 complex with tricationic reagents). This led to an extended investigation on the use of dicationic pairing agents. The use of dicationic reagents improved the detection sensitivity for all of the bisphosphonates. Tandem mass spectrometry also improved the limits of detection for most of the bisphosphonates using both the tricationic and dicationic pairing reagents. A tricationic reagent also was used as an ion-pairing reagent in chromatography experiments. Thus the addition of a single reagent produced benefits in that it increased chromatographic retention and enhanced the ESI-MS detection of bisphosphonates.     

Confirmatory determination of six penicillins in honey by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

A confirmatory method for 6 penicillin antibiotics (amoxicillin, ampicillin, penicillin G, oxacillin, cloxacillin, and dicloxacillin) in honey is presented that allows determination and confirmation of identity of the antibiotics at trace levels. The method includes the use of a stable isotope-labeled internal standard benzyl (d7-phenyl) penicillate and removal of sugar and other substances by solvent and solid-phase extraction. The honey extracts are then analyzed for penicillin residues by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Mass spectral acquisition was achieved in an electrospray positive ion mode by applying multiple reaction monitoring of 2 or 3 fragment ion transitions to provide a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Typical recoveries of 6 penicillins at fortification levels of 6, 16, 40, and 80 microg/kg ranged from 51.4 to 132.9%. The recoveries varied with the individual penicillins and were affected by different honey matrixes. The ion ratios were consistent and could be used for confirmation of identity of the penicillins. The method limits of detection (microg/kg) were 0.25 for amoxicillin, 0.19 for ampicillin, 0.068 for penicillin G, 0.028 for oxacillin, 0.052 for cloxacillin, and 0.085 for dicloxacillin. The method limits of confirmation (microg/kg) were 0.44 for amoxicillin, 0.52 for ampicillin, 0.23 for penicillin G, 0.14 for oxacillin, 0.14 for cloxacillin, and 0.15 for dicloxacillin when a sample size of 5 g honey was used.     

Plasma lipid analysis by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A novel method for the analysis of endogenous lipids and related compounds was developed employing hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with carbamoyl stationary phase achieved clear separation of phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, ceramide, and mono‐hexsosyl ceramide groups with good peak area repeatability (RSD% < 10) and linearity (R² > 0.99). The established method was applied to human plasma assays and a total of 117 endogenous lipids were successfully detected and reproducibly identified. In addition, we investigated the simultaneous detection of small polar metabolites such as amino and organic acids co‐existing in the same biological samples processed in a single analytical run with lipids. Our results show that hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography is a useful tool for human plasma lipidome analysis and offers more comprehensive metabolome coverage.     

Elucidation of triacylglycerols in cod liver oil by liquid chromatography electrospray tandem ion-trap mass spectrometry

Though liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS²) has been widely used in the structural elucidation of triacylglycerols (TAG) in vegetable oils, its potentiality for the identification of TAG molecules in omega-3 rich oils remains unexplored till date. Hence, this article investigates the applicability of LC-ESI-MS² for the structural characterization of naturally occurring TAG in cod liver oil without the TAG fractionation during the sample preparation. A computational algorithm was developed to automatically interpret the mass spectra and elucidate the TAG structures respectively. The results were compared against the lipase benchmark method. A principal component analysis study revealed that it is possible to discriminate genuine from adulterated cod liver oil.     

Structural characterization of glycoporphyrins by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Porphyrin derivatives having a galactose or a bis(isopropylidene)galactose structural unit, linked by ester or ether bonds, were characterized by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ES-MS/MS). The electrospray mass spectra of these glycoporphyrins show the corresponding [M + H](+) ions. For the glycoporphyrins with pyridyl substituents and those having a tetrafluorophenyl spacer, the doubly charged ions [M + 2H](2+) were also observed in ES-MS with high relative abundance. The fragmentation of both [M + H](+) and [M + 2H](2+) ions exhibited common fragmentation pathways for porphyrins with the same sugar residue, independently of the porphyrin structural unit and type of linkage. ES-MS/MS of the [M + H](+) ions of the galactose-substituted porphyrins gave the fragment ions [M + H - C(2)H(4)O(2)](+), [M + H - C(3)H(6)O(3)](+), [M + H - C(4)H(8)O(4)](+) and [M + H - galactose residue](+). The fragmentation of the [M + 2H](2+) ions of the porphyrins with galactose shows the common doubly charged fragment ions [porphyrin + H](2+), [M + 2H - C(2)H(4)O(2)](2+), [M + 2H - C(4)H(8)O(4)](2+), [M + 2H - galactose residue](2+) and the singly charged fragment ions [M + H - C(3)H(6)O(3)](+) and [M + H - galactose residue](+). The fragmentation of the [M + H](+) ions of glycoporphyrins with a protected galactosyl residue leads mainly to the ions [M + H - CO(CH(3))(2)](+), [M + H - 2CO(CH(3))(2)](+), [M + H - 2CO(CH(3))(2) - CO](+), [M + H - C(10)H(16)O(4)](+) and [M + H - protected galactose](+). The doubly charged ions [M + 2H](2+) fragment to give the doubly charged ions [porphyrin + H](2+) and the singly charged ions [M + H - protected galactose residue](+) and [M + H - CO(CH(3))(2)](+). For the porphyrins where the sugar structural unit is linked by an ester bond, [M + 2H](2+), ES-MS/MS showed a major and typical fragmentation corresponding to combined loss of a sugar structural unit and further loss of water, leading to the ion [M + 2H - sugar residue - H(2)O](2+), independently of the structure of the sugar structural unit. These results show that ES-MS/MS can be a powerful tool for the characterization of the sugar structural unit of glycoporphyrins, without the need for chemical hydrolysis.     

Simultaneous determination of cyadox and its metabolites in plasma by high‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Cyadox is a novel antimicrobial growth‐promoter of the quinoxalines. For food safety and pharmacokinetic studies, a convenient, sensitive and reproducible LC‐ESI‐MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of cyadox and its major metabolites, quinoxaline‐2‐carboxylic acid, 1,4‐bisdesoxycyadox, cyadox‐1‐monoxide and cyadox‐4‐monoxide in chicken plasma. Plasma sample was subjected to a simple deproteinisation with acetonitrile. Analysis was performed on a C₁₈ column by detection with mass spectrometry in multiple reaction monitoring mode. A gradient elution program with 0.2% formic acid, methanol and acetonitrile was performed at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The decision limits (CCαs) of five analytes in plasma ranged from 1.0 to 4.0 μg/L, and the detection capabilities (CCβs) were <10 μg/L. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for concentrations over the standard curve range. The extraction recoveries of five analytes were between 87.4 and 93.9% in plasma at the spiked levels of 5 (10)–200 μg/L with the relative standard deviations <10% for each analyte. The developed method demonstrated a satisfactory applicability in real plasma samples.     

Fesoterodine stress degradation behavior by liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

In the present study, a rapid validated stability-indicating LC method was established and comprehensive stress testing of fesoterodine was carried out according to ICH guidelines. Fesoterodine was subjected to stress conditions of acid and basic hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal decomposition. The degradation products formed under stress conditions were investigated by LC-UV and LC-ESI-MS. Successful separation of the drug from its degradation products was achieved on a monolithic C₁₈ column (100 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) maintained at 45 °C using acetonitrile-methanol-0.03 mol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate (pH 3.8) (30:15:55, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 2.4 mL min⁻¹ and the detection wavelength was 208 nm. Validation parameters such as specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness were evaluated. Chromatographic separation was obtained within 2.5 min and it was suitable for high-throughput analysis. Fragmentation patterns of degradation products formed under different stress conditions were studied and characterized through LC-ESI-MS fragmentation. Based on the results, a drug degradation pathway was proposed, and the validated LC method was successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of fesoterodine in tablet dosage forms, helping to improve quality control and to assure therapeutic efficacy.     

Gas chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis of trimethylsilyl derivatives

A method based on the analysis of trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives by capillary gas chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (GC–ESI/MS) was proposed. To improve separation, analytes were derivatized to their TMS derivative. During ESI analysis, TMS derivatives may hydrolyze back to their polar native form and are thus suitable for ESI analysis. Several types of analytes were studied to investigate the potential of the approach. Not all TMS derivatives hydrolyzed back to their native form as anticipated. Incomplete hydrolysis was observed for TMS‐organic acids and TMS‐nonchlorinated phenols. For TMS‐chlorophenols, the observation of only the [M ? H]^? ion suggested that these phenols were hydrolyzed back to their native form. For TMS‐beta agonists, the hydrolysis rate was low; therefore, the hydrolysis product was not detected. Both TMS‐chlorophenols and TMS‐beta agonists provide a sensitivity in the range of low parts per billion (0.25–5 ng/ml and 0.5–10 ng/ml respectively). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.