Curie-point pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry of carbohydrates: Part A: Methodology

Methodological aspects of Curie-point pyrolysis in combination with field ionization mass spectrometry for the characterization and identification of carbohydrates are reported. Some monomeric sugars and sugar derivatives have been investigated as a first step towards a basic understanding of the pyrolysis pathways of polysaccharides.Curie-point pyrolysis is performed inside the ion source of a double-focusing mass spectrometer close to the field ion emitter. The pyrolysis products are ionized in a high electric field and spectra of high mass resolution are recorded photographically. This procedure essentially avoids mass spectrometric fragmentation and yields almost exclusively molecular ions of the pyrolysates. The best experimental conditions for pyrolysis were determined by investigating the influences of pyrolysis temperature, temperature pulse length, exposure time and trace impurities on the pyrolysis products. At a temperature of 500°C and a pulse length of 4–6 s, the most significant pyrolysis fragments appear with high relative intensity. Although most of the pyrolysis products with higher volatility are pumped out of the ion source after an exposure time of 3 min, the more characteristic degradation products of lower volatility can still be registered after 10 min. The spectra of monosaccharides such as glucuronic acid, d-glucose and some of its methylated derivatives show significant differences which can be correlated structurally with the position of the substituent.     

Identification and characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coking wastewater sludge

GC‐MS analysis was performed on the coking sludge from a coking wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to allow detailed chemical characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The identification and characterization of the isomers of PAHs was based on a positive match of mass spectral data of their isomers with mass spectra databases or based on a comparison of electron impact ionization mass spectra and retention times of target compounds with those reference compounds. In total, 160 PAH compounds including numerous N‐, O‐, S‐, OH‐, and Cl‐containing derivatives were positively identified for the first time. Quantitative analysis of target compounds was performed in the selected ion‐monitoring mode using the internal standard method. The total concentrations of selected compounds in the coking sludge samples from the anaerobic tank, aerobic tank, hydrolytic tank, and secondary clarifier of the WWTP ranged from 1690 ± 585 to 6690 ± 522 mg/kg, which were much higher than those in other industrial and municipal sludges. PAHs with four and five rings were found to be the dominant compounds, and diagnostic ratios of these compounds suggested that they had the characteristics of coal combustion and pyrolysis.     

Rapid separation and identification of phenolic and diterpenoid constituents from Radix Salvia miltiorrhizae by high-performance liquid chromatography diode-array detection, electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry

High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD), electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS) and electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MSn) were used for the isolation, identification and structural analysis of water-soluble phenolic and nonpolar diterpenoid constituents in Dan-shen (Radix Salvia miltiorrhizae) which was prepared by sonication in 70% methanol. Mass spectra were obtained by ESI-TOF-MS and electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-QIT-MS). A formula database of known constituents in Dan-shen was established and most constituents were rapidly identified by HPLC-DAD/ESI-TOF-MS by matching their accurate molecular masses with the formulae of the compounds in the database. Compounds with the same molecular formula could not be differentiated by TOF-MS; however, QIT-MS could differentiate those compounds and elucidate their structures based on their characteristic fragmentation. HPLC-DAD, HPLC/ESI-TOF-MS and HPLC/ESI-MSn provided complementary information for the identification of the constituents in Dan-shen. Forty constituents were identified in 30 min based on their positive and negative ion ESI mass spectra and liquid chromatographic information. Thus the method described is useful for the rapid analysis of multiple constituents in Dan-shen.     

同时裂解甲基化气相色谱法鉴别合成胶粘剂

 应用同时裂解甲基化气相色谱法 (Py Me GC)对合成胶粘剂进行了鉴别。采用热丝型裂解器、氢火焰离子化气相色谱仪、FFAP毛细管柱、程序升温方式及季铵盐甲基化试剂 ,对刑事案件中常见的丙烯酸酯类及其改性体、醋酸乙烯酯、聚乙烯醇等合成胶粘剂进行了测定 ,并对样品裂解各主要组分峰进行了GC/MS定性分析 ,同时比较了相同样本用常规裂解气相色谱法 (Py GC)测定的结果。结果表明 :Py Me GC法比Py GC法可获得更多的物质组分信息 ,是一种适用于法庭科学鉴定的方法。     

Analysis of various organic and organometallic compounds using nanostructure-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (NALDI-TOFMS)

Nanostructure-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (NALDI-TOFMS) has been developed recently as a matrix-free/surface-assisted alternative to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). The NALDI surface of silicon nanowires is already very effective for the analysis of small to medium sized, polar organic molecules in positive ion mode. The current study examined this technology for the analysis of several nonpolar organic, organometallic, and ionic compounds in positive ion mode, as well as a fluorinated compound and various acids in negative ion mode. NALDI data are compared and contrasted with MALDI data for the same compounds, and the higher sensitivity of NALDI is highlighted by the successful characterization of two porphyrins for a sample amount of 10 amol per spot.     

Antioxidant activity guided separation of major polyphenols of marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) using flash chromatography and their identification by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry†

Marjoram extracts have been separated into polar and nonpolar parts using liquid–liquid extraction. Both polar and nonpolar parts of the extracts were further fractionated by flash chromatography. The obtained fractions (90 polar and 45 nonpolar fractions) were investigated for their antioxidant activities by 2,2‐diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assays. A direct, positive, and linear relationship between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the fractions was observed. Based on antioxidant and total phenolic content data, the three fractions with the high antioxidant activities from polar and nonpolar part of the extract were analyzed for their constituent polyphenols by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Compounds were identified by matching the mass spectral data and retention time with those of authentic standards. Identification of the compounds for which there were no “in‐house” standards available was carried out by accurate mass measurement of the precursor ions and product ions generated from collision‐induced dissociation. Rosmarinic acid was found to be the strongest antioxidant polyphenol conferring the highest antioxidant activity to fractions 47 and 17 of polar and nonpolar part of the extract, respectively. The identification of the rosmarinic acid was further confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Coupling of capillary electrochromatography to coordination ion spray mass spectrometry, a novel detection method.

Miniaturized separation techniques such as capillary electrochromatography (CEC), pressurized capillary electrochromatography (pCEC) and capillary high performance liquid chromatography (CHPLC) have been coupled to a new detection technique: coordination ion spray mass spectrometry (CIS-MS). Electrospray ionization (ESI) has found widespread applications in mass spectrometry (MS) for the analysis of polar compounds such as peptides or nucleotides. However, for weakly polar or nonpolar substances, ESI-MS yields poor sensitivity since, in the absence of basic or acidic groups, protonation or deprotonation is not possible. CIS is a universal ionization technique capable of detecting these compounds. Through the addition of a central complexing ion, charged coordination compounds are formed, enabling the detection with good sensitivity. Using the coaxial sheath flow interface commonly employed in CE-MS coupling, we were able to separate and detect various important natural compounds such as unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters, vitamins D2 and D3, and four different estrogens. A central ion solution of 100 microg/mL AgNO3 in water was used as sheath flow liquid, resulting in the formation of positively charged coordination compounds.     

Thermal degradation of spruce needles studied by time-resolved mass spectrometry and multivariate data analysis

In a study related to the impact of air pollution on forests, needles from a healthy and a severely damaged Norway spruce tree were analysed by temperature-programmed pyrolysis/field ionization (FI) mass spectrometry. Dried and pulverized spruce needles were heated at a rate of 0.6°C s^?1 to 450°C in the high vacuum of a FI ion source. Over 100 mass spectra were recorded electrically during each analysis. From each mass spectrum, average molecular weights of the pyrolysis products were calculated; their variation with pyrolysis temperature is discussed. The mass spectra in the range m/z 100–600 are used to calculate partial weight-loss curves. The FI mass spectra are evaluated by principal component analysis and factor rotation. The three-factor spectra based on loadings of the rotated principal components show typical FI signals which are produced during pyrolysis at low, medium and high temperatures. These signal patterns are interpreted as molecular ions of thermally stable, relatively volatile plant constituents and molecular ions of thermal degradation products derived from the thermolysis of carbohydrates, lignin and other biopolymers which occur in conifer needles. Medium- and high-temperature products of lignin can be distinguished. Principal component scores can be used to simulate the appearance of single FI signals, i.e., pyrolysis products. The evaluation of time-resolved pyrolysis and soft ionization mass spectrometric data from a single sample by principal component analysis and factor rotation appears to be suitable for characterization of the major chemical components and their thermal behaviour in complex biological samples.     

Carbon disulfide reagent allows the characterization of nonpolar analytes by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

While atmospheric pressure ionization methodologies have revolutionized the mass spectrometric analysis of nonvolatile analytes, limitations native to the chemistry of these methodologies hinder or entirely inhibit the analysis of certain analytes, specifically, many nonpolar compounds. Examination of various analytes, including asphaltene and lignin model compounds as well as saturated hydrocarbons, demonstrates that atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) using CS₂ as the reagent produces an abundant and stable molecular ion (M^+?) for all model compounds studied, with the exception of completely saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons and the two amino acids tested, arginine and phenylalanine. This reagent substantially broadens the applicability of mass spectrometry to nonvolatile nonpolar analytes and also facilitates the examination of radical cation chemistry by mass spectrometry. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

烤烟烟叶和烟梗的热裂解产物的研究

为了加深理解梗丝在卷烟叶组配方中的作用,对比研究了烤烟叶片和烟梗的化学组成以及它们在不同温度下的热裂解产物。一个改进后的热裂解装置被用来模拟卷烟的燃烧行为。采用热裂解仪研究了烤烟叶片和烟梗在大气环境中于300 ℃、600 ℃和900 ℃下的热裂解行为,并采用气相色谱-质谱联用仪对它们的热裂解产物进行分析。结果表明,烤烟烟叶和烟梗的热裂解产物种类随着热裂解温度的增加而增多;在相同热裂解温度条件下,烟叶的热裂解产物种类明显多于烟梗的热裂解产物。     

Column switching-back flushing technique for the analysis of aromatic compounds in gasoline

A simple method, based on the technique of capillary column switching-back flushing, has been developed for the detailed analysis of aromatic compounds in gasoline. The sample was first separated on a 30-m long OV-2330 polar precolumn and then backflushed onto a nonpolar analytical column. The early eluting components from the precolumn and the components of interest (aromatic compounds plus heavier compounds) eluting from the analytical column are all directed to the same flame ionization detection system through a T piece, which permits the quantitative analysis of aromatic hydrocarbons in gasoline by a normalization method using correcting factors. The switching time window of the method is +/-5 s, resulting in easier operation and higher reliability. The reproducibility of the quantitative analysis was < or = 3% RSD for real gasoline samples.     

Ion mobility spectra of cyclic and aliphatic hydrocarbons with different substituents

We investigated the influence of structural differences on the ionization pathways and drift behavior in ion mobility spectrometry for cyclic and aliphatic hydrocarbons with different functional groups. The sets of cyclic and aliphatic compounds had an identical mass or a mass difference of 2 Da. Therefore, mass effects can be neglected during the investigation of these compounds. Depending on the functional group, considerable differences were found in the detectable concentration ranges and in the number and position of product ion peaks in ion mobility spectra. The spectra of chlorinated compounds and hydrocarbons show no correlation to their calculated collisional cross sections. Differences in collisional cross section between cyclic and aliphatic substances investigated were only found to influence the drift times detected for amines and aliphatic aldehydes while complex ion chemistry was observed for the other substances.     

Pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry of carbohydrates: Part b: Polysaccharides

The application of pyrolysis in combination with field ionization (FI) mass spectrometry for the characterization and identification of polysaccharides is reported. Polysaccharides such as xylan, agarose and alginic acid, which contain monomer subunits of different elemental composition, can be differentiated in a straightforward manner by the field ionization spectra of their Curie-point pyrolysates. Polysaccharides with hexosyl subunits, such as cellulose, galactan, laminaran and mannan, were pyrolysed by Curie-point pyrolysis and show photographically recorded FI spectra which differ in the relative heights of their pyrolysis peaks. Characteristic pyrolysis products are formed, which can be identified or assigned structures on the basis of accurate mass measurements, direct isotopic determination and by analogy with established chemical procedures and mechanisms.Oven pyrolysis of polysaccharides combined with electrical detection of the FI spectra at low mass resolution gives a higher sensitivity and better reproducibility for all peaks over the whole mass range. From sample amounts of about 40 μg, spectra are obtained by raising the oven temperature by 0.4°C/s. Utilizing repetitive magnetic scanning, registration and signal processing by the data system, the standard deviation of the peak heights for five repeated measurements is about 10%. Accumulation of about 30 spectra in a limited mass range on a multi-channel analyser gives results which vary by about 2–3% on average, despite a lower sample consumption (20–30 μg). Oven pyrolysis between 250 and 400°C yields significant differences in the spectra of differently linked mannans and allows an unequivocal differentiation of these isomers. Following FI, field desorption (FD) spectra were obtained from pyrolysis products condensed on the emitter surface by heating of the emitter wire between 10 and 30 mA. The cations of alkali metals, such as Na*, K* and Cs*, can be registered in this way. Most interesting is the detection of the molecular ions of monomer and oligomer subunits of the polysaccharides as complementary analytical information in the FD mode. Obviously, condensation of these neutral, thermal products on the emitter surface occurs without field ionization and desorption is initiated by supply of thermal energy to the adsorbed sample layer.     

Analysis of tetrapyrrolic pigments and derivatives in sediments by high performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A new application is described of the on-line high-performance liquid chromatography/positive and negative ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI(+/–)-MS) to the identification of tetrapyrrolic compounds in sediment samples containing complex mixtures of natural pigments and their diagenetic products. The method relies on the production of radical anions in order to determine the molecular masses of the molecules which yield abundant fragment ions when analyzed in the positive mode. This approach allows to verify the occurrence of coeluting components by examining their negative ion spectra and to complete their identification on the basis of their fragment ions produced in the positive ion spectra. Received: 24 September 1998 / Revised: 23 December 1998 / Accepted: 29 December 1998     

Analysis of tetrapyrrolic pigments and derivatives in sediments by high performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A new application is described of the on-line high-performance liquid chromatography/positive and negative ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI(+/–)-MS) to the identification of tetrapyrrolic compounds in sediment samples containing complex mixtures of natural pigments and their diagenetic products. The method relies on the production of radical anions in order to determine the molecular masses of the molecules which yield abundant fragment ions when analyzed in the positive mode. This approach allows to verify the occurrence of coeluting components by examining their negative ion spectra and to complete their identification on the basis of their fragment ions produced in the positive ion spectra. Received: 24 September 1998 / Revised: 23 December 1998 / Accepted: 29 December 1998     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting of beer

After just simple degassing, dilution, pH adjustment and direct flow injection, characteristic fingerprint spectra of beer samples have been obtained by fast (few seconds) electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis in both the negative and positive ion modes. A total of 29 samples belonging to the two main beer types (lagers and ales) and several beer subtypes from USA, Europe and Brazil could be clearly divided into three groups both by simple visual inspection of their ESI(+)-MS and ESI(-)-MS fingerprints as well as by chemometric treatment of the MS data. Diagnostic ions with contrasting relative abundances in both the positive and negative ion modes allow classification of beers into three major types: P = pale (light) colored (pilsener, pale ale), D = dark colored (bock, stout, porter, mild ale) and M = malt beer. For M beers, samples of a dark and artificially sweetened caramel beer produced in Brazil and known as Malzbiers were used. ESI-MS/MS on these diagnostic beer cations and anions, most of which are characterized as arising from ionization of simple sugars, oligosaccharides, and iso-alpha-acids, yield characteristic tandem mass spectra adding a second and optional MS dimension for improved selectivity for beer characterization by fingerprinting. Direct ESI-MS or ESI-MS/MS analysis can therefore provide fast and reliable fingerprinting characterization of beers, distinguishing between types with different chemical compositions. Other unusual polar components, impurities or additives, as well as fermentation defects or degradation products, could eventually be detected, making the technique promising for beer quality control.     

Atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry applied to petroleum samples analysis: comparison with electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure photoionization methods

The analysis of crude oil samples remains a tough challenge due to the complexity of the matrix and the broad range of physical and chemical properties of the various individual compounds present. In this work, atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) is utilized as a complementary tool to other ionization techniques for crude oil analysis. Mass spectra obtained with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) are compared. APLI is primarily sensitive towards non‐polar aromatic hydrocarbons, which are generally present in high amounts especially in heavy crude oil samples. The ionization mechanisms of APLI vs. APPI are further investigated. The results indicate the advantages of APLI over established methods like ESI and APPI. The application of APLI in combination with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR MS) is thus demonstrated to be a powerful tool for the analysis of aromatic species in complex crude oil fractions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting of whisky: immediate proof of origin and authenticity

Authentic samples of whisky produced in Scotland and USA and counterfeit whisky samples commercialized in Brazil have been directly submitted to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis in both the negative and positive ion modes to assess the potential of this technique for simple and rapid quality control and proof of authenticity of whisky samples. ESI in the negative ion mode yields the most characteristic whisky fingerprinting mass spectra in just a few seconds by direct infusion of the samples, detecting the most polar or acidic components of each sample in their deprotonated anionic forms. No pre-treatment of the sample, such as extraction or derivatization or even dilution, is required. The analysis of the ESI(-)-MS data both by simple visual inspection but more particularly by chemometric data treatment enables separation of the whisky samples into three unequivocally distinct groups: Scotch, American and counterfeit whisky, whereas single malt and blended Scotch whiskies are also distinguished to some extent. As indicated by ESI-MS/MS analysis, the diagnostic anions are simple sugars, disaccharides and phenolic compounds. Direct infusion ESI-MS therefore provides immediate chemical fingerprinting of whisky samples for type, origin and quality control, as demonstrated herein for American, Scottish and counterfeit samples, whereas ESI-MS/MS analysis of diagnostic ions adds a second dimension of fingerprinting characterization when improved selectivity is desired.     

Analysis of dammar resin with MALDI‐FT‐ICR‐MS and APCI‐FT‐ICR‐MS

Comprehensive analysis of high‐resolution mass spectra of aged natural dammar resin obtained with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT‐ICR‐MS) using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) is presented. Dammar resin is one of the most important components of painting varnishes. Dammar resin is a terpenoid resin (dominated by triterpenoids) with intrinsically very complex composition. This complexity further increases with aging. Ten different solvents and two‐component solvent mixtures were tested for sample preparation. The most suitable solvent mixtures for the MALDI‐FT‐ICR‐MS analysis were dichloromethane‐acetone and dichloromethane‐ethanol. The obtained MALDI‐FTMS mass spectrum contains nine clusters of peaks in the m/z range of 420–2200, and the obtained APCI‐FTMS mass spectrum contains three clusters of peaks in the m/z range of 380–910. The peaks in the clusters correspond to the oxygenated derivatives of terpenoids differing by the number of C₁₅H₂₄ units. The clusters, in turn, are composed of subclusters differing by the number of oxygen atoms in the molecules. Thorough analysis and identification of the components (or groups of components) by their accurate m/z ratios was carried out, and molecular formulas (elemental compositions) of all major peaks in the MALDI‐FTMS and APCI‐FTMS spectra were identified (and groups of possible isomeric compounds were proposed). In the MALDI‐FTMS and APCI‐FTMS mass spectrum, besides the oxidized C₃₀, triterpenoids also peaks corresponding to C₂₉ and C₃₁ derivatives of triterpenoids (demethylated and methylated, correspondingly) were detected. MALDI and APCI are complementary ionization sources for the analysis of natural dammar resin. In the MALDI source, preferably polar (extensively oxidized) components of the resin are ionized (mostly as Na⁺ adducts), whereas in the APCI source, preferably nonpolar (hydrocarbon and slightly oxidized) compounds are ionized (by protonation). Either of the two ionization methods, when used alone, gives an incomplete picture of the dammar resin composition. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs)

Twenty-six methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) were characterized by gas chromatography (GC) on four different GC columns with different lengths and polarities, as well as by mass spectrometry using three ionization techniques, electron ionization (EI), electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) and positive ion chemical ionization (PICI). MeO-PBDE congeners with similar retention times on a nonpolar GC column were separated when analyzed on a polar GC column. EI can be used to determine the position of the methoxy substituent (ortho, meta or para) relative to the diphenyl ether oxygen in the MeO-PBDEs. The PICI ionization technique is shown to be valuable to generate structural information of the MeO-PBDEs, i.e. the degree of bromination on both the methoxy-substituted ring and the entirely brominated phenyl ring can be obtained. This structure information can also be achieved for certain MeO-PBDEs with the methoxy group in ortho position to the diphenyl ether bond in ECNI mode. Like other brominated compounds ECNI is preferable when analyzing environmental samples for quantification of MeO-PBDEs because of the formation of bromide ions, which enables low detection limits.