ESI‐MS/MS analysis of protonated N‐methyl amino acids and their immonium ions

Methylation is one of the important posttranslational modifications of biological systems. At the metabolite level, the methylation process is expected to convert bioactive compounds such as amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, sugars, and other organic acids into their methylated forms. A few of the methylated amino acids are identified and have been proved as potential biomarkers for several metabolic disorders by using mass spectrometry–based metabolomics workstation. As it is possible to encounter all the N‐methyl forms of the proteinogenic amino acids in plant/biological systems, it is essential to have analytical data of all N‐methyl amino acids for their detection and identification. In earlier studies, we have reported the ESI‐MS/MS data of all methylated proteinogenic amino acids, except that of mono‐N‐methyl amino acids. In this study, the N‐methyl amino acids of all the amino acids ( 1 ‐ 21 ; including one isomeric pair) were synthesized and characterized by ESI‐MS/MS, LC/MS/MS, and HRMS. These data could be useful for detection and identification of N‐methyl amino acids in biological systems for future metabolomics studies. The MS/MS spectra of [M + H]⁺ ions of most N‐methyl amino acids showed respective immonium ions by the loss of (H₂O, CO). The other most common product ions detected were [MH‐(NH₂CH₃]⁺, [MH‐(RH)]⁺ (where R = side chain group) ions, and the selective structure indicative product ions due to side chain and N‐methyl group. The isomeric/isobaric N‐methyl amino acids could easily be differentiated by their distinct MS/MS spectra. Further, the MS/MS of immonium ions inferred side chain structure and methyl group on α‐nitrogen of the N‐methyl amino acids.     

Analysis of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids using high performance liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry is described. The standard fatty acid methyl esters from 16 to 22 carbons were analyzed by LC‐MS with APCI. The effect of orifice voltage and total carbon atoms versus number of double bonds in each homologue on the mass spectra is discussed. The correction coefficients for homologues from saturated fatty acids to hexaenoic acid are also mentioned.     

Structural characterization of a vegetable oil‐based polyol through liquid chromatography multistage mass spectrometry

A commercial vegetable oil‐based polyol for rigid polyurethane foams has been characterized by liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization‐quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐QIT‐MS). The absolute molecular weight (MW = 960) was measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) equipped with both refractive index (RI) detector and static laser light‐scattering detector (SLSD), which allowed further analysis by LC‐MS. The oligo‐polyol mixture was first separated in two elutes and then investigated by a deep multistage mass spectrometry (MSⁿ) study and completed using NMR. The major constituents identified were regioisomers of propoxylated sucrose (n_PO = 6–12), and the related esters of C16:0, C18:1, and C18:2 fatty acids had a mass ratio of 6:3:1. A comparison of fatty acids composition between the sample and palm oil demonstrated that the sample was initially prepared from the mixture of sucrose and palm oil by direct propoxylation. The MSⁿ fragmentation studies validated the structure of propoxylated sucrose and the related fatty acids derivatives. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 255–262     

Development and evaluation of gas and liquid chromatographic methods for the analysis of fatty amines

In contrast to the plethora of publications on the separation of fatty acids, analogous studies involving fatty amines are scarce. A recently introduced ionic‐liquid‐based capillary column for GC was used to separate trifluoroacetylated fatty amines focusing on the analysis of a commercial sample. Using the ionic liquid column (isothermal mode at 200°C) it was possible to separate linear primary fatty amines from C₁₂ to C₂₂ chain length in less 25 min with MS identification. The log of the amine retention factors are linearly related to the alkyl chain length with a methylene selectivity of 0.117 kcal/mol for the saturated amines and 0.128 kcal/mol for the mono‐unsaturated amines. The sp² selectivity for unsaturated fatty amines also could be calculated as 0.107 kcal/mol for the ionic liquid column. The commercial sample was quantified by GC with flame ionization detection (FID). An LC method also was developed with a reversed phase gradient separation using acetonitrile/formate buffer mobile phases and ESI‐MS detection. Native amines could be detected and identified by their single ion monitoring chromatograms even when partial coelution was observed. The analysis of the commercial sample returned results coherent with those obtained by GC–FID and with the manufacturer's data.     

Quantification of triacylglycerol regioisomers by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography and ammonia negative ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The regioisomer composition of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in various vegetable oils was determined with a new liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS method). A direct inlet ammonia negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) MS/MS method was improved by adapting it to LC negative ion (NI) atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) MS/MS system using ammonia as nebulizer gas. The method is based on the preferential formation of [M–H–RCOOH–100]^? ions during collision‐induced dissociation by loss of sn‐1/3 fatty acids from [M–H]^? ions. Calibration curves were created from nine reference TAGs: Ala/L/L, Gla/L/L, L/L/O, L/O/O, P/O/O, P/P/O, Po/Po/V, Po/Po/O, and C/O/O. The calibration curves were used to quantify the regioisomer compositions of selected TAGs in rapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, palm oil, black currant seed oil, and sea buckthorn pulp oil. The method discriminates the different regioisomers and the results obtained by this method were in good agreement with previous results. This proves that this new method can be used for the determination of regiospecific distribution of fatty acids in TAGs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Epoxycarotenoids esters analysis in intact orange juices using two‐dimensional comprehensive liquid chromatography

In this work, the native carotenoid pattern of different orange juices was studied by LC×LC‐DAD/APCI‐IT‐TOF‐MS for the first time. Special attention was given to the epoxycarotenoids components. It has been already proposed that the relative proportions and composition of these epoxycarotenoids can be used to estimate the age and freshness of an orange juice. Re‐arrangements from 5,6‐ to 5,8‐epoxides can occur with time, partially due to the natural acidity of the juices. Thus, the study of these carotenoids in their intact form, that is, esterified with fatty acids, is of great interest. Besides, other free carotenoid and carotenoids esters were identified in seven different monovarietal orange juices and a commercial orange juice. Moreover, the higher separation power of the present LC×LC approach allowed a clearer identification of the compounds contained in the sample compared to the more commonly used approach which uses C₃₀ stationary phases in conventional LC, thanks to the attainment of clearer MS spectra due to the higher resolution and separation degree obtained in LC×LC. This method could also be used to establish authenticity markers among orange varieties that could be potentially used to prevent or detect adulterations or to establish ripeness indexes.     

Versatility of tandem mass spectrometry for focused analysis of oxylipids

Liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) scan mode has been the primary MS method applied for the target identification of specific and minor oxylipids in complex matrices, such as eicosanoids and docosanoids, which are potent lipid mediators derived from polyunsaturated fatty acid oxygenation. However, the high specificity of MRM can limit the detection of species with m/z MRM transitions not covered by the method. In addition to MRM, tandem‐quadrupole mass analyzers enable other experiments to be conducted, by fragmenting ions via collision‐induced dissociation process (CID). This paper presents the potential of tandem mass spectrometry for the focused analysis of oxylipids. We have successfully developed an LC‐MS/MS method for the identification of precursor ions of m/z 115, a diagnostic product ion of 5‐hydroxy‐ and 5‐epoxy‐fatty acids. As a proof of concept, the developed method was used to discover several oxylipids oxidized at C5 derived from arachidonic acid (C20 : 4) oxygenation in a hypothalamus rat extract that were not identified using the target MRM methodology. The proposed focused MS/MS‐based approach in a tandem mass analyzer has proven to be a powerful strategy to accelerate the identification of oxylipids with structural similarities and assist the field of lipidomic research. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ether metabolites by liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ether (OH‐PBDEs) metabolites have the potential to cause endocrine disruption as well as other health effects. Currently, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after derivatization is used for the analysis of OH‐PBDEs. However, there is a need for the direct analysis of OH‐PBDEs at relatively low concentrations in environmental and biological samples. Liquid chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/APCI‐MS/MS) was evaluated for the analysis of nine OH‐PBDEs, ranging from tri‐ to hexabrominated. Separation of the nine isomeric metabolites was achieved with reversed‐phase liquid chromatography, followed by detection by APCI‐MS in negative mode. Notably, a significant decrease in ionization was observed in 6‐hydroxyl‐substituted PBDE metabolites in the presence of an ortho‐substituted bromine, relative to the other hydroxylated metabolites. This is probably due to the formation of dioxins in the source as a result of the high‐temperature conditions, which prevented ionization by hydrogen abstraction. The MS/MS experiments also provided evidence of the neutral losses of HBr and Br₂, indicating the possible use of neutral loss scanning and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) for the screening of brominated metabolites in samples. The applicability of LC/APCI‐MS/MS was demonstrated for the analysis of metabolites of BDEs 47 and 99 formed in human liver microsomes. The LC/APCI‐MS/MS method was able to detect metabolites that had previously been identified by GC/MS following derivatization. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification of organic hydroperoxides and hydroperoxy acids in secondary organic aerosol formed during the ozonolysis of different monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes by on‐line analysis using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometry

On‐line ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS) enables the real‐time characterization of reaction products of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). The analysis was conducted by directly introducing the aerosol particles into the ion source. Positive‐ion chemical ionization at atmospheric pressure (APCI(+)) ITMS was used for the characterization of constituents of biogenic SOA produced in reaction‐chamber experiments. APCI in the positive‐ion mode usually enables the detection of [M+H]⁺ ions of the individual SOA components. In this paper the identification of organic peroxides from biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by on‐line APCI‐ITMS is presented. Organic peroxides containing a hydroperoxy group, generated by gas‐phase ozonolysis of monoterpenes (α‐pinene and β‐pinene) and sesquiterpenes (α‐cedrene and α‐copaene), could be detected via on‐line APCI(+)‐MS/MS experiments. A characteristic neutral loss of 34 Da (hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂) in the on‐line MS/MS spectra is a clear indication for the existence of an organic peroxide, containing a hydroperoxy functional group. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Separation and identification of enzymatically prepared dephosphorylated products of myo‐inositolhexakisphosphate using LC‐MS

LC‐MS technique described here is a new way for the separation and direct determination of UV–Vis insensitive inositol phosphates (InsP₂‐InsP₆). This circumvents the need of radioisotopic labeling and post‐column derivatization techniques. The method involves separation of various enzymatically dephosphorylated derivatives of InsP₆ on C₁₈‐column using MeOH/H₂O (30:70 v/v) and their identification using electron spray ionization MS in positive ion mode (+pESI‐MS). The LC‐MS studies revealed that the purified phytase from Aspergillus niger van Teighem hydrolyzes InsP₆ in a sequential manner leading to InsP₂ (InsP₂·2Na, t_R 4.4–4.54 min, base peak m/z 382.9) as the end product.     

Identification of regioisomers and enantiomers of triacylglycerols in different yeasts using reversed‐ and chiral‐phase LC–MS

LC with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (ACPI) MS with RP and chiral phase was used for separation of triacylglycerols (TAGs) from yeasts of the genera Candida, Kluyveromyces, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Torulospora, Trichosporon, and Yarrowia. Chiral LC–APCI‐MS is based on using two columns in series packed with a 3,5‐dimethylphenyl carbamate modified β‐cyclodextrin chiral phase. All regioisomers and enantiomers of TAGs containing one to five double bonds were separated. Molecular species of TAGs, i.e. regioisomers and enantiomers, were identified and quantified by MS/MS. Among the 94 identified TAGs, the most abundant were triolein, oleopalmitoleoolein, and dipalmitoleoolein. In strains producing palmitoleic acid in amounts >25% of total fatty acids (FAs), this acid, or unsaturated FA is bound in sn‐1. In strains containing palmitoleic acid at 10–25% total FAs this acid is mainly bound in sn‐3, saturated FA being bound in sn‐1. Strains containing <10% palmitoleic acid form preferentially symmetrical TAGs.     

The application of gas chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry to impurity identification in Pharmaceutical Development

Accurate mass measurement (used to determine elemental formulae) is an essential tool for impurity identification in pharmaceutical development for process understanding. Accurate mass liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is used widely for these types of analyses; however, there are still many occasions when gas chromatography (GC)/MS is the appropriate technique. Therefore, the provision of robust technology to provide accurate mass GC/MS (and GC/MS/MS) for this type of activity is essential. In this report we describe the optimisation and application of a newly available atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) interface to couple GC to time‐of‐flight (TOF) MS. To fully test the potential of the new interface the APCI source conditions were optimised, using a number of standard compounds, with a variety of structures, as used in synthesis at AstraZeneca. These compounds were subsequently analysed by GC/APCI‐TOF MS. This study was carried out to evaluate the range of compounds that are amenable to analysis using this technique. The range of compounds that can be detected and characterised using the technique was found to be extremely broad and include apolar hydrocarbons such as toluene. Both protonated molecules ([M + H]⁺) and radical cations (M^+.) were observed in the mass spectra produced by APCI, along with additional ion signals such as [M + H + O]⁺. The technique has been successfully applied to the identification of impurities in reaction mixtures from organic synthesis in process development. A typical mass accuracy of 1–2 mm/zunits (m/z 80–500) was achieved allowing the reaction impurities to be identified based on their elemental formulae. These results clearly demonstrate the potential of the technique as a tool for problem solving and process understanding in pharmaceutical development. The reaction mixtures were also analysed by GC/electron ionisation (EI)‐MS and GC/chemical ionisation (CI)‐MS to understand the capability of GC/APCI‐MS relative to these two firmly established techniques. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高效液相色谱-质谱分离鉴定荧光试剂标记的脂肪酸

以2-(2-(10-蒽基)-萘[2,3-d]咪唑)-乙基-对甲苯磺酸酯(ANITS)作为柱前衍生化试剂,在Eclipse XDB-C8色谱柱上,梯度洗脱实现了20种游离脂肪酸(FFA)衍生物的完全基线分离。90℃下在DMF溶剂中以K2CO3作催化剂,选取衍生试剂摩尔数为脂肪酸的7倍,衍生反应40min可获得稳定的荧光产物。激发和发射波长分别为250nm和512nm。采用大气压化学电离源(APCI)正离子模式,实现了油菜蜂花粉中游离脂肪酸的质谱鉴定。所有脂肪酸的线性相关系数均大于0.9999,检出限为24.76~98.79fmol。     

LC/ESI‐MS/MS characterisation of lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by the Bacillus licheniformis V9T14 strain

Lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by the Bacillus licheniformis V9T14 strain showed an interesting anti‐adhesion activity against biofilm formation of human pathogenic bacterial strains. The chemical characterisation of the crude extract of V9T14 strain was first developed through electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) and ESI‐MS/MS direct infusions: two sets of molecular ion species belonging to the fengycin and surfactin families were revealed and their structures defined, interpreting their product ion spectra. The LC/ESI‐MS analysis of the crude extract allowed to separate in different chromatogram ranges the homologues and the isoforms of the two lipopeptide families. The extract was then fractionated by silica gel chromatography in two main fractions, I and II. The purified biosurfactants were analysed through a new, rapid and suitable LC/ESI‐MS/MS method, which allowed characterising the composition and the structures of the produced lipopeptides. LC/ESI‐MS/MS analysis of fraction I showed the presence of C₁₃, C₁₄ and C₁₅ surfactin homologues, whose structures were confirmed by the product ion spectra of the sodiated molecules [M + Na]⁺ at m/z 1030, 1044 and 1058. LC/ESI‐MS/MS analysis of fraction II confirmed the presence of two main fengycin isoforms, with the protonated molecules [M + H]⁺ at m/z 1478 and 1506 corresponding to C₁₇ fengycin A and C₁₇ fengycin B, respectively. Other homologues (C₁₄ to C₁₆) were revealed and confirmed as belonging to fengycin A or B according to the retention times and the product ions generated, although with the same nominal mass. Finally, a relative percentage content of each homologue for both lipopeptides families in the whole extract was proposed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decomposition of N‐hydroxylated compounds during atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

N‐Hydroxylated polyamine derivatives were found to decompose during the ionization process of liquid chromatography‐atmospheric pressure chemical ionization‐mass spectrometry (LC‐APCI‐MS) experiments. The phenomenon was studied with a model compound, a synthetic N‐hydroxylated tetraamine derivative. It was found that reduction, oxidation and water elimination occurred during APCI to generate the corresponding amine, N‐oxide, and imine. The investigation further revealed that decomposition of hydroxylamines during APCI depends upon the concentration of the analyte and on the acidity of the solution introduced into the ionization source. The pH‐dependence of decomposition was utilized for the development of an MS method that allows for the unambiguous identification of N? OH functionalities. This method was applied for the study of natural products including polyamine toxins from the venom of the spider Agelenopsis aperta and mayfoline, a cyclic polyamine derivative of the shrub Maytenus buxifolia. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of target fat‐soluble micronutrients in rainbow trout's muscle and liver tissues by liquid chromatography with diode array‐tandem mass spectrometry detection

This paper describes an analytical approach, based on LC‐diode array detector‐MS/MS (LC‐DAD‐MS/MS), for characterizing the fat‐soluble micronutrient fraction in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss ). Two different procedures were applied to isolate the analytes from liver and muscle tissue: overnight cold saponification to hydrolyze bound forms and to simplify the analysis; matrix solid‐phase dispersion to avoid artifacts and to maintain unaltered the naturally occurring forms. Analytes were separated on a C₃₀ analytical column by using a nonaqueous reversed mobile phase compatible with the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. Compared to other works, the most relevant advantage of the here illustrated method is the large amount of information obtained with few analytical steps: nine fat‐soluble vitamins (3,4‐dehydroretinol, retinol, cholecalciferol, ergocalciferol, α‐tocopherol, γ‐tocopherol, δ‐tocopherol, phylloquinone, and menaquinone‐4) and eight carotenoids (all‐trans ‐lutein, all‐trans ‐astaxanthin, all‐trans ‐zeaxanthin, all‐trans ‐β‐cryptoxanthin, all‐trans ‐canthaxanthin, all‐trans ‐ζ‐carotene, all‐trans ‐β‐carotene, and all‐trans ‐γ‐carotene) were quantified after the method validation, while other untargeted carotenoids were tentatively identified by exploiting the identification power of the LC‐DAD‐MS/MS hyphenation.     

Challenges in the identification process of phenidate analogues in LC‐ESI‐MS/MS analysis: Information enhancement by derivatization with isobutyl chloroformate

A new analytical technique for the structural elucidation of four representative phenidate analogues possessing a secondary amine residue, which leads to a major/single amine‐representative fragment/product ion at m/z 84 both in their GC‐EI‐MS and LC‐ESI‐MS/MS spectra, making their identification ambiguous, was developed. The method is based on “in vial” chemical derivatization with isobutyl chloroformate in both aqueous and organic solutions, followed by liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS). The resulting carbamate derivatives promote rich fragmentation patterns with full coverage of all substructures of the molecule, enabling detailed structural elucidation and unambiguous identification of the original compounds at low ng/mL levels.     

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.     

Determination of steryl sulphates in invertebrate tissue by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the identification and quantification of underivatised steryl sulphates in invertebrates by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS) involving a single cleanup step has been developed. Negative electrospray ionisation and positive and negative atmospheric-pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) spectra of steryl sulphate showed pseudomolecular ions ([M+H–H₂SO₄]⁺or [M–H]⁻). Collision-induced dissociation (CID) was efficient only in positive APCI. LC-MS in negative APCI was least susceptible to interference and possible differences in response factors. The detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) based on cholest-5-enyl-3-sulphate in positive and negative APCI modes are 3.66 and 0.73 pmol μL⁻¹, respectively. Calibration plots and response factors for cholest-5-enyl-3-sulphate relative to the internal standard, cholecalciferyl-3-sulphate, in both positive and negative polarities, were linear in the concentration range from 1.22 to 16.4 pmol μL⁻¹ with good coefficients of determination (R ²>0.98). It is suggested that the structure elucidation of steryl sulphates is best achieved in CID positive APCI mode, whereas their quantification should be carried out using negative APCI.     

Liquid chromatography/negative ion atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry: a highly sensitive method for the analysis of organic explosives

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is applied to the analysis of volatile and thermally stable compounds, while liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC/APCI‐MS) and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS) are preferred for the analysis of compounds with solution acid‐base chemistry. Because organic explosives are compounds with low polarity and some of them are thermally labile, they have not been very well analyzed by GC/MS, LC/APCI‐MS and LC/ESI‐MS. Herein, we demonstrate liquid chromatography/negative ion atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry (LC/NI‐APPI‐MS) as a novel and highly sensitive method for their analysis. Using LC/NI‐APPI‐MS, limits of quantification (LOQs) of nitroaromatics and nitramines down to the middle pg range have been achieved in full MS scan mode, which are approximately one order to two orders magnitude lower than those previously reported using GC/MS or LC/APCI‐MS. The calibration dynamic ranges achieved by LC/NI‐APPI‐MS are also wider than those using GC/MS and LC/APCI‐MS. The reproducibility of LC/NI‐APPI‐MS is also very reliable, with the intraday and interday variabilities by coefficient of variation (CV) of 0.2–3.4% and 0.6–1.9% for 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (2,4,6‐TNT). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.