Solid phase micro-extraction coupled with ion mobility spectrometry for the analysis of ephedrine in urine

Quantitative solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) coupled with ion mobility spectrometry is demonstrated using the analysis of ephedrine in urine. Since its inception in the 1970's ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) has evolved into a useful technique for laboratories to detect explosives, chemical warfare agents, environment pollutants and, increasingly, for detecting drugs of abuse. Ephedrine is extracted directly from urine samples using SPME and the analyte on the fiber is heated by the IMS desorber unit and vaporized into the drift tube. The analytical procedure was optimized for fiber coating selection, extraction temperature, extraction time, sample pH, and analyte desorption temperature. The carryover effects, ion fragmentation characteristics, peak shapes, and drift times of ephedrine were also evaluated based on the direct interfacing of SPME to IMS. A limit of detection of 50 ng/mL of ephedrine in urine and a linear range of 3 orders of magnitude were obtained, showing that SPME-IMS compares well to other techniques for ephedrine and drug analysis presented in the literature.     

Use of Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) with Ion Mobility Spectrometry∗

Abstract

We report the use of solid phase microextraction (SPME) combined with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) for sampling, screening and identification of organic compounds that are readily detected by IMS. This is a new SPME application. SPME has emerged recently as an excellent sample preparation technique for gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We have found that SPME can be used very conveniently with IMS. An example of SPME-IMS is described using SPME headspace sampling at room temperature with 0.1 mL vials containing 1.0 microgram or less of either cocaine freebase or cocaine hydrochloride. This is followed by analysis using IMS. A hole, drilled in the IMS sample ticket holder, serves as the SPME-IMS interface.

     

Fast detection of methyl tert-butyl ether from water using solid phase microextraction and ion mobility spectrometry

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is commonly used as chemical additive to increase oxygen content and octane rating of reformulated gasoline. Despite its impact on enhancing cleaner combustion of gasoline, MTBE poses a threat to surface and ground water when gasoline is released into the environment. Methods for onsite analysis of MTBE in water samples are also needed. A less common technique for MTBE detection from water is ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). We describe a method for fast sampling and screening of MTBE from water by solid phase microextraction (SPME) and IMS. MTBE is adsorbed from the head space of a sample to the coating of SPME fiber. The interface containing a heated sample chamber, which couples SPME and IMS, was constructed and the SPME fiber was introduced into the sample chamber for thermal desorption and IMS detection of MTBE vapors. The demonstrated SPME-IMS method proved to be a straightforward method for the detection of trace quantities of MTBE from waters including surface and ground water. We determined the relative standard deviation of 8.3% and detection limit of 5 mg L⁻¹ for MTBE. Because of short sampling, desorption, and detection times, the described configuration of combined SPME and IMS is a feasible method for the detection of hazardous substances from environmental matrices.     

Determination of chemical warfare agents and related compounds in environmental samples by solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is an increasingly common method of sample isolation and enhancement. SPME is a convenient and simple sample preparation technique for chromatographic analysis and a useful alternative to liquid-liquid extraction and solid phase extraction. SPME is speed and simply method, which has been widely used in environmental analysis because it is a rather safe method when dealing with highly toxic chemicals. A combination of SPME and gas chromatography (GC) permits both the qualitative and quantitative analysis of toxic industrial compounds, pesticides and chemical warfare agents (CWAs), including their degradation products, in air, water and soil samples. This work presents a combination of SPME and GC methods with various types of detectors in the analysis of CWAs and their degradation products in air, water, soil and other matrices. The combination of SPME and GC methods allows for low detection limits depending on the analyte, matrix and detection system. Commercially available fibers have been mainly used to extract CWAs in headspace analysis. However, attempts have been made to introduce new fiber coatings that are characterized by higher selectivities towards different analytes of interest. Environmental decomposition of CWAs leads to the formation of more hydrophilic products. These compounds may be isolated from samples using SPME and analyzed using GC however, they must often be derivatized first to produce good chromatography. In these cases, one must ensure that the SPME method also meets the same needs. Otherwise, it is helpful to use derivatization methods. SPME may also be used with fieldportable mass spectrometry (MS) and GC-MS instruments for chemical defense applications, including field sampling and analysis. SPME fibers can be taken into contaminated areas to directly sample air, headspaces above solutions, soils and water.     

GC/IMS and GC/MS analysis of pre-concentrated medical and biological samples

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a well-known analytical method for the detection of CWAs and explosives since many years. Coupling IMS to GC pre-separation, new application fields in medicine and biology could be opened, dealing with complex and humid mixtures. However, identification of unknowns in such a complex sample is challenging and can only be achieved by parallel GC/MS analysis, thus obtaining a proposal for the responsible compound for validation via reference substances by GC/IMS again. The available adsorption tools for such accompanying GC/MS analysis have their particular drawbacks (e.g. problematic quantification for SPME, high sample volumes for adsorption tubes). Therefore miniaturised adsorption needles (NeedleTrap) were applied to both GC/IMS and GC/MS for validation of their reproducibility. It could be demonstrated that the needles can even be used for appropriate quantification when the adsorbent and the sample volume are adapted properly to the concentration range, the compounds of interest and humidity of the sample. The method is very flexible with regard to the concentration range by variation of the sample volume (e.g. 20 mL for ppt_V, 10 mL for lower ppb_V or 1 mL for ppm_V) and with regard to the compounds of interest by application of common adsorption materials optimised for the relevant substance group. Such materials are available commercially in a broad variability. Therefore, the miniaturised adsorption needles are a helpful complementary sampling method for any GC/MS or GC/IMS investigations.     

Application of solid-phase microextraction in analytical toxicology

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a miniaturized and solvent-free sample preparation technique for chromatographic–spectrometric analysis by which the analytes are extracted from a gaseous or liquid sample by absorption in, or adsorption on, a thin polymer coating fixed to the solid surface of a fiber, inside an injection needle or inside a capillary. In this paper, the present state of practical performance and of applications of SPME to the analysis of blood, urine, oral fluid and hair in clinical and forensic toxicology is reviewed. The commercial coatings for fibers or needles have not essentially changed for many years, but there are interesting laboratory developments, such as conductive polypyrrole coatings for electrochemically controlled SPME of anions or cations and coatings with restricted-access properties for direct extraction from whole blood or immunoaffinity SPME. In-tube SPME uses segments of commercial gas chromatography (GC) capillaries for highly efficient extraction by repeated aspiration–ejection cycles of the liquid sample. It can be easily automated in combination with liquid chromatography but, as it is very sensitive to capillary plugging, it requires completely homogeneous liquid samples. In contrast, fiber-based SPME has not yet been performed automatically in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography. The headspace extractions on fibers or needles (solid-phase dynamic extraction) combined with GC methods are the most advantageous versions of SPME because of very pure extracts and the availability of automatic samplers. Surprisingly, substances with quite high boiling points, such as tricyclic antidepressants or phenothiazines, can be measured by headspace SPME from aqueous samples. The applicability and sensitivity of SPME was essentially extended by in-sample or on-fiber derivatization. The different modes of SPME were applied to analysis of solvents and inhalation narcotics, amphetamines, cocaine and metabolites, cannabinoids, methadone and other opioids, fatty acid ethyl esters as alcohol markers, γ-hydroxybutyric acid, benzodiazepines, various other therapeutic drugs, pesticides, chemical warfare agents, cyanide, sulfide and metal ions. In general, SPME is routinely used in optimized methods for specific analytes. However, it was shown that it also has some capacity for a general screening by direct immersion into urine samples and for pesticides and other semivolatile substance in the headspace mode.     

Analysis of the volatile chemical markers of explosives using novel solid phase microextraction coupled to ion mobility spectrometry

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is routinely used in screening checkpoints for the detection of explosives and illicit drugs but it mainly relies on the capture of particles on a swab surface for the detection. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) has been coupled to IMS for the preconcentration of explosives and their volatile chemical markers and, although it has improved the LODs over a standalone IMS, it is limited to sampling in small vessels by the fiber geometry. Novel planar geometry SPME devices coated with PDMS and sol-gel PDMS that do not require an additional interface to IMS are now reported for the first time. The explosive, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), is sampled with the planar SPME reaching extraction equilibrium faster than with fiber SPME, concentrating detectable levels of TNT in a matter of minutes. The surface area, capacity, extraction efficiency, and LODs are also improved over fiber SPME allowing for sampling in larger volumes. The volatile chemical markers, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, cyclohexanone, and the taggant 4-nitrotoluene have also been successfully extracted by planar SPME and detected by IMS at mass loadings below 1 ng of extracted analyte on the planar device for TNT, for example.     

基质与分析物的摩尔比和激光能量对分析物离子信号的影响

A method of aerosol introduction for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is described. The aerosol particles containing matrix and analyte enter directly into the aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) at atmospheric pressure. The scattered light signals from the aerosol particles are collected by a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and are passed on to an external electronic timing circuit, which determines particle size and is used to trigger a 266 nm pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The aerosol MALDI mass spectra and aerodynamic diameter of single particles can be obtained in real-time. Compared with other methods of liquid sample introduction, this method realizes detection of single particles and, more importantly, the sample consumption is lower. The effects of matrix-to-analyte ratio and laser pulse energy on analyte ion yield are examined. The optimal matrix-to-analyte ratio and laser energy are 50-110:1 and 200-400 μJ respectively.     

Applications of solid-phase microextraction in food analysis

Food analysis is important for the evaluation of the nutritional value and quality of fresh and processed products, and for monitoring food additives and other toxic contaminants. Sample preparation, such as extraction, concentration and isolation of analytes, greatly influences the reliable and accurate analysis of food. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a new sample preparation technique using a fused-silica fiber that is coated on the outside with an appropriate stationary phase. Analyte in the sample is directly extracted to the fiber coating. The SPME technique can be used routinely in combination with gas chromatography (GC), GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or LC–MS. Furthermore, another SPME technique known as in-tube SPME has also been developed for combination with LC or LC–MS using an open tubular fused-silica capillary column as an SPME device instead of SPME fiber. These methods using SPME techniques save preparation time, solvent purchase and disposal costs, and can improve the detection limits. This review summarizes the SPME techniques for coupling with various analytical instruments and the applications of these techniques to food analysis.     

Determination of Cd and Pb at μg/L levels by HHPN-beam injection flame furnace-AAS

Flame-heated tubes are widespread in flame-AAS, mainly for the determination of hydride-forming elements. Instead of the introduction of gaseous compounds liquids can also be introduced continuously in such an absorption cell. With the aid of an HPLC pump the liquid is forced through a very fine nozzle, generating an aerosol beam less than 0.5?mm in diameter. This beam travels a distance of 10?cm as a “free-flying aerosol jet” into the sample introduction hole of a metal tube furnace placed in the flame. Both introduction of the entire sample and the long residence time lead to a considerable improvement in power of detection. The detection limit for 100 μL samples amounts to 7 μg/L (Pb) and to 0. 2 μg/L (Cd), which means an increase in power of detection of between one and two orders of magnitude compared to conventional flame-AAS. The relative standard deviation (100 μL sample volume, N = 10) was found to be 1.3% (signal area) for 600 μg/L Pb and to be 1.5% (signal-area) for 15 μg/L Cd. RSD values from measurements in peak-height amounted to 2.2% (Pb) and to 1.7% (Cd).     

Sample introduction in gas chromatography using a coiled wire filament

A simple device for field sampling and concentration of analytes for subsequent introduction into an injection port for gas chromatographic (GC) analysis has been developed. It consists of a tiny, coiled platinum wire filament (CWF) that is attached to a retractable plunger wire, which fits inside a syringe needle housing. Sampling is accomplished by dipping the end of the CWF in a liquid sample, which is drawn into the wire coil by capillary action, and introducing it into the injection port either before or after allowing the solvent to evaporate. The CWF can be used with or without a nonvolatile chemical coating. A major advantage of this sampling device is that nonvolatile sample matrix components remain on the wire coil, reducing the required injection port and liner cleaning frequency and contamination of the head of the chromatographic column. The coil itself can be easily cleaned between analyses by rinsing and/or burning off residual material in a small flame. The sampling coil facilitates specifically designed chemical reactions in the injection port, such as thermochemolysis and methylation. Applications demonstrated in this work include: (1) direct introduction of samples with little or no pre-treatment, (2) simultaneous thermochemolysis and methylation of lipid-containing samples such as bacteria and bacterial endospores for analysis of biomarkers, and (3) solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) using temporary wire coatings. The CWF allowed for significant reduction in sample preparation time, in most cases to less than a few minutes. The peak shapes examined for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon analytes (PAHs) were significantly better (asymmetry factors <1.3) when using the CWF sampling technique compared to splitless and on-column injection techniques (asymmetry factors >1.3). Extraction efficiencies for SPME (especially for high boiling point components such as PAHs) improved by an average of 2.5 times when using the CWF compared to the performance of commercially available SPME fibers. Coiled wire filaments and GC injection port liners were used for more than 100 Bacillus endospore thermochemolysis methylation analyses without the need for cleaning or replacement.     

固相萃取-离子迁移谱法快速筛查祛痘类化妆品中14种抗菌药物

目前,主动性的现场稽查已成为市场监管的发展趋势,这需要在现场快速有效地筛查大量产品,评估是否含有非法添加化学药物,对有嫌疑的样品及时封存,再送至实验室进一步检验。离子迁移谱技术是近年来发展起来的快筛技术之一。实验采用固相萃取-离子迁移谱技术,建立了祛痘类化妆品中14种抗菌药物的快速筛查方法。对离子迁移谱检测条件、样品提取条件、固相萃取净化条件(固相萃取柱、淋洗液种类、洗脱液种类及体积)进行了详细考察与优化。最终使用80%(体积分数)乙腈水溶液(含0.2%(质量分数)三氯乙酸)作为样品提取溶液,提取后上样于活化后的弱阳离子交换柱(Oasis^® MCX固相萃取柱), 3.0 mL甲醇淋洗,1.0 mL 2%氨水甲醇洗脱,洗脱液直接进离子迁移谱检测。14种抗菌药物的迁移时间在11~17 ms之间,检出限为0.2~1.2 μg/g。同时,由于离子迁移谱法线性范围较窄,不能准确定量,建立了高效液色谱(HPLC)定量方法,用于固相萃取前处理步骤的优化和阳性样品的验证。25批化妆品样品中,筛查出1批阳性样品,与HPLC检测结果相符。该方法快速、简便、高效,显著降低了祛痘类化妆品基质对离子迁移谱检测14种抗菌药物的干扰,提高了检测灵敏度,有效降低了假阳性和假阴性的发生,可用于化妆品现场快速筛查,同时也扩大了离子迁移谱在化妆品等复杂基质中非法添加化学药物检测的应用范围。     

Determination of Cd and Pb at microg/L levels by HHPN-beam injection flame furnace-AAS

Flame-heated tubes are widespread in flame-AAS, mainly for the determination of hydride-forming elements. Instead of the introduction of gaseous compounds liquids can also be introduced continuously in such an absorption cell. With the aid of an HPLC pump the liquid is forced through a very fine nozzle, generating an aerosol beam less than 0.5 mm in diameter. This beam travels a distance of 10cm as a "free-flying aerosol jet" into the sample introduction hole of a metal tube furnace placed in the flame. Both introduction of the entire sample and the long residence time lead to a considerable improvement in power of detection. The detection limit for 100 microL samples amounts to 7 microg/L (Pb) and to 0.2 microg/L (Cd), which means an increase in power of detection of between one and two orders of magnitude compared to conventional flame-AAS. The relative standard deviation (100 microL sample volume, N = 10) was found to be 1.3% (signal area) for 600 microg/L Pb and to be 1.5% (signal-area) for 15 microg/L Cd. RSD values from measurements in peak-height amounted to 2.2% (Pb) and to 1.7% (Cd).     

The use of dopants in high field asymmetric waveform spectrometry

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is proven core technology for the gas-phase detection of chemical warfare (CW) agents. One disadvantage of IMS technology is that ions of similar mobility cannot readily be resolved, resulting in false alarm responses and a loss of user confidence. High field asymmetric waveform spectrometry (HiFAWS) is an emerging technology for the gas-phase detection of CW agents. Of particular interest is the potential of a HiFAWS-based platform to reduce the number of false alarms by resolving ions that cannot be discriminated using IMS. It has been demonstrated that a water clustering/declustering mechanism can be a dominant process in HiFAWS. Ions that cannot be discriminated in IMS because they possess the same low field mobility value can be resolved using HiFAWS due to differences in the extent of low field ion solvation and high field ion desolvation. When operating in complex environments such as those potentially experienced in military and security arenas, IMS systems commonly employ internal dopants to reduce the number of background responses. It is possible that HiFAWS systems may also require the use of internal dopants for the same reason. It has been demonstrated that dopants employed for use in IMS may not be suitable for use in HiFAWS.     

Desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric analysis of chemical warfare agents from solid‐phase microextraction fibers

Desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (DESI‐MS) was recently reported for the direct analysis of sample media without the need for additional sample handling. During the present study, direct analysis of solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) fibers by DESI‐MS/MS was evaluated with indoor office media that might be collected during a forensic investigation, including wall surfaces, office fabrics, paper products and Dacron swabs used for liquid sampling. Media spiked at the µg/g level with purified chemical warfare agents and a complex munitions grade sample of tabun, to simulate the quality of chemical warfare agent that might be used for terrorist purposes, were successfully analysed by DESI‐MS/MS. Sulfur mustard, a compound that has not been successfully analysed by electrospray mass spectrometry in the past, was also sampled using a SPME fiber and analysed for the first time by DESI‐MS/MS. Finally, the overall analytical approach involving SPME headspace sampling and DESI‐MS analysis was evaluated during a scenario‐based training live agent exercise. A sarin sample collected by the military was analysed and confirmed by DESI‐MS in a mobile laboratory under realistic field conditions. Copyright © 2007 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Comparison of SnifProbe and SPME for Aroma Sampling

The popular solid phase micro extraction (SPME) device and method is compared with SnifProbe (Gordin and Amirav in J Chromatogr A 903:155–172, 2000) in their application for coffee aroma sampling for its analysis. The main difference between SPME and SnifProbe is in the relative motion of the sampled air. While SPME is based on static air sampling and the achievement of equilibrium, SnifProbe is based on active air pumping through the adsorption trap. A second important difference concerns the sample introduction into the GC injector for its intra injector thermal desorption. SPME is based on the use of a special syringe for sample introduction without any change to the injector, while SnifProbe requires a ChromatoProbe for sample introduction. We found that as a result of these differences, while SnifProbe provides a more faithful (representative) headspace and aroma sample collection, SPME is characterized by major compound dependent sample bias. In addition, SnifProbe enabled much faster sample collection than SPME. Since SnifProbe uses the ChromatoProbe for sample introduction into the GC, bigger sample collection/trapping devices such as silicone tubing can be used, and as a result, over ten times superior SnifProbe sensitivity (versus SPME) was demonstrated. Additional SnifProbe and SPME features are compared and discussed.     

A review of recent, unconventional applications of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS)

The applications of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) have grown exponentially beyond its uses for explosive, illicit drug and chemical warfare agent monitoring in recent years. Instrumental developments including new drift tube materials and ionization sources have enabled the manufacturing of more sophisticated and affordable IMS equipment for the advantageous analysis of samples with no pretreatment. The most recent applications of IMS include quality control and cleaning validation procedures in the pharmaceutical industry; determinations of contaminants in food samples; clinical analyses of biological fluids; environmental analyses of contaminants in gaseous, liquid and solid samples; and (bio)process quality control monitoring. Coupling IMS with MSⁿ has enabled the analysis of very complex samples and the extraction of knowledge unavailable from isolated MS measurements, especially in the polymer and petroleomic industries.     

Liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometric and desorption electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric analysis of chemical warfare agents in office media typically collected during a forensic investigation

Most prior analytical studies have dealt with the determination of chemical warfare agents in environmental or biological matrices that would typically be collected following battlefield use or in support of the Chemical Weapons Convention. These methods may be useful for some investigations, but may not be practical for indoor forensic investigations where chemical warfare agent use is suspected. There is a need for analytical methods for chemical warfare agent identification in office media, including flooring, wall surfaces, office fabrics and paper products, which would typically be collected in an office environment during forensic investigations. During this study, typical office environment media were spiked at the 4-20microg/g level with either a complex munitions grade sample of tabun (GA) or with a standard containing the three nerve agents, sarin (GB), cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GF), soman (GD) and the nerve agent simulant, triethyl phosphate (TEP), to evaluate the potentials of liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for forensic purposes. An emerging technique, desorption electrospray ionization (DESI-MS/MS), was also investigated for the direct determination of TEP, GB and GD sampled onto solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers exposed to spiked office media. The spiked chemical warfare agents were recovered with varying efficiencies during this study, but in all cases sufficient chemical warfare agent was recovered for mass spectrometric identification purposes. Full high resolution mass spectra were acquired for all the chemical warfare agents in the continuum mode, which typically resulted in mass measurement errors of 0.001Da or less.     

离子淌度谱及其近年进展

近年来离子淌度谱（ＩＭＳ）在样品引入技术，信号采集和数据处理、离子源等方面都有了显著的进展，其中以ＩＭＳ作为色谱检测器（ＩＭＤ）进行的研究尤为重要，而ＩＭＳ与Ｊ民喷雾郭子化（ＥＳＩ）技术的联用扩大其在非挥发性化合物和生物物质检测方面的应用评论还综述了近年来ＩＭＳ应用于环保、化学化工、违禁药物检测、爆炸物检测以及半导体表面挥发物分析等方面的最新研究成果。     

Determination of Aromatic Arsines in Environmental Solids by Direct Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography

To quantify aromatic arsines in the environment, such as World War I era chemical warfare agents and degradation products of arsenicals used in agriculture, a sensitive, selective, and direct method is needed. We describe the development and optimization of a method for the measurement of trace levels of triphenylarsine used as a model aromatic arsenic compound. Triphenylarsine was determined at low µg/g levels in sand, soil, and lake sediment by thermal desorption before gas–liquid chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometric and pulsed flame photometric detection. The dithiol derivative of phenylarsonic acid was used as an internal standard, thereby significantly improving the precision of the method. The desorption conditions were studied and found to be optimal at 350°C for 15?min. Significant improvement in precision was realized by preparing the solid samples as slurries in acetone and by inserting a small (～100?mg) quartz wool plug into the sample vial. The method was applied to determine triphenylarsine in authentic soil and sediment samples that had been fortified with triphenylarsine and aged for at least 15 days. Recoveries for soil samples ranged from 84.3?±?2.3 to 87.7?±?1.3%, while lower recoveries were obtained for sediment samples (75.1?±?3.0%). The detection limit for triphenylarsine in soil was 3.14?ng with a precision of 7.10% (n?=?4). Using these optimized conditions, the performance of the direct thermal desorption GC method for sample introduction was greatly improved compared to methods that have been reported in the literature.