飞行时间质谱仪新技术的进展及应用

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

飞行时间质谱仪新技术的进展及应用

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

飞行时间质谱仪新技术的进展及应用

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

单光子电离质谱法在线分析牙膏中的香精物质

在无需样品前处理的条件下,建立了直接进样单光子电离飞行时间质谱在线分析牙膏样品中香精物质的方法。本方法采用石英毛细管直接将样品导入质谱仪电离区,优化了电离区气压条件,并利用香精标准品的特征质谱信号对牙膏样品中香精成分进行了快速、准确鉴定,单个样品分析仅需0.5 min。将本方法应用于模拟刷牙过程中挥发性香精的在线、原位监测,考察了水含量对牙膏香精挥发过程的影响。结果表明,直接进样单光子电离飞行时间质谱法能够实时监控刷牙过程中挥发香精的成分与浓度,可以应用于其他样品如食品、化妆品中香精成分的分析。     

连续测量水中挥发性有机物的膜进样-单光子电离-质谱仪的研制及其应用

研制了膜进样-单光子电离-飞行时间质谱仪,并应用于水中挥发性有机物(VOCs)的连续在线快速测量.以50 μm硅橡胶膜为富集膜,用蠕动泵和电动切换阀,实现了水中VOCs的自动进样、富集和测量,无记忆效应.采用真空紫外灯发出的10.6 eV的光子,对待测有机物实现单光子电离,无碎片离子,便于根据分子量进行定性分析.苯、甲苯、二甲苯和氯苯等样品的响应时间均低于100 s; 苯的检出限可达3×10-9(V/V),且在10×10-9～1×10-6(V/V)范围内具有良好的线性.将仪器应用于某化工厂排污水的在线检测中,在200 s时间内可检测到20多种10×10-9(V/V)量级的有机物.结果表明: 膜进样-单光子电离-飞行时间质谱在水中VOCs在线检测方面具有广泛应用前景.     

一种新型光电离/微型正交加速飞行时间质谱仪的设计和性能测试

介绍了自行研制的光电离/微型正交加速飞行时间质谱仪的设计原理和性能。电离源采用光子能量为10.6 eV真空紫外灯,它可将待测分子电离只产生单电荷母体离子,不产生碎片离子。采用该光电离方法得到的质谱谱图比较简单,气体样品可以不经分离直接进行分析。离子正交引入结构的飞行时间质量分析器有效地提高了质谱分辨率。用32 cm无场飞行管,测量碘甲烷得到的质谱分辨率可达430。在谱图获得频率10 kHz的操作条件下,样品总分析时间20 s,得到苯和碘甲烷的检出限分别为10×10-6,5×10-6。软电离和微型化使得该质谱仪在可挥发性有机物的实时在线监测方面有广泛的应用。     

热解析法/单光子电离质谱法对土壤中多环芳烃的检测

以电子束泵浦稀有气体准分子灯发射出的126 nm紫外光为电离源,结合飞行时间质谱在线分析了土壤中的16种多环芳烃(PAHs)。利用热解吸装置将PAHs气体直接引入质谱,建立了以毛细管直接进样法为样品导入方法的单光子电离质谱分析方法。考察了不同PAHs解吸时间及解吸温度的影响,并讨论了单光子电离效率对检出限的影响。根据标准混合气体的分析得到16种PAHs的检出限可达μg/mL级别。     

以石墨烯为基质的MALDI-TOF MS对有机及药物小分子的检测

以石墨烯为基质辅助激光解吸/电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF MS)的新型基质,对氨基酸、多胺化合物、雌激素、环磷酰胺、脱氧核糖核苷酸、胞嘧啶β-D-阿糖等一些典型有机小分子、药物小分子及一些有机反应中间体等进行检测分析。实验结果显示,新型二维石墨烯纳米材料可作为MALDI-TOF MS的新型基质替代三氟乙酸(TFA)等传统基质,实现了对有机及药物小分子的高灵敏检测,且分辨率、解吸/电离效率均较传统基质有着显著提升,具有重现性及耐盐性。     

共振增强多光子电离耦合飞行时间质谱研究甲烷脱氢芳构化反应

 采用共振增强多光子电离耦合飞行时间质谱技术，初步探测了甲烷无氧芳构化反应。实验结果表明，该技术具有灵敏度高，质量分辨率高，响应时间快等优点，改变波长能实现对目标产物的实时，高灵敏度检测，并且可以获得所有产物的信息。     

线性离子阱飞行时间质谱仪的研制及性能表征

基于飞行时间质谱技术、线性离子阱技术、大气压电离源等核心技术,自制了一款台式高分辨线性离子阱飞行时间联用质谱仪器(LIT-TOF MS)。以电喷雾离子源对仪器性能进行表征:LIT-TOF MS的质量分辨率超过12 000(利血平m/z 609),质量范围达到33～1 922 amu,灵敏度为1μg/L;能够实现MS3的三级质谱分析效果。对氨基酸进行了定性及定量的初步应用分析,结果表明:LIT-TOF MS可为代谢组学研究中实时、在线、高通量测定生物复杂样品中氨基酸的含量及其变化提供一定依据。该仪器能与多种常压电离技术联用,有望用于药品、环境、食品等领域。     

High‐speed MALDI MS/MS imaging mass spectrometry using continuous raster sampling

A matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight/time of flight tandem mass spectrometer (MALDI TOF/TOF) has been used for high‐speed precursor/fragment ion transition image acquisition. High‐throughput analysis is facilitated by an Nd:YLF solid state laser capable of pulse repetition rates up to 5 kHz, a high digitizer acquisition rate (up to 50 pixels/s), and continuous laser raster sampling. MS/MS experiments are enabled through the use of a precision timed ion selector, second source acceleration, and a dedicated collision cell. Continuous raster sampling is shown here to facilitate rapid MS/MS ion image acquisition from thin tissue sections for the drug rifampicin and for a common kidney lipid, SM4s(d18:1/24:1). The ability to confirm the structural identity of an analyte as part of the MS/MS imaging experiment is an essential part of the analysis. Additionally, the increase in sensitivity and specificity afforded by an MS/MS approach is highly advantageous, especially when interrogating complex chemical environments such as those in biological tissues. Herein, we report continuous laser raster sampling TOF/TOF imaging methodologies which demonstrate 8 to 14‐fold increases in throughput compared with existing MS/MS instrumentation, an important advantage when imaging large areas on tissues. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modern MALDI time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

This paper focuses on development of time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass spectrometry in response to the invention of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Before this breakthrough ionization technique for nonvolatile molecules, TOF was generally considered as a useful tool for exotic studies of ion properties but was not widely applied to analytical problems. Improved TOF instruments and software that allow the full potential power of MALDI to be applied to difficult biological applications are described. A theoretical approach to the design and optimization of MALDI‐TOF instruments for particular applications is presented. Experimental data are provided that are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions of resolving power and mass accuracy. Data on sensitivity and dynamic range using kilohertz laser rates are also summarized. These results indicate that combinations of high‐performance MALDI‐TOF and TOF‐TOF with off‐line high‐capacity separations may ultimately provide throughput and dynamic range several orders of magnitude greater than those currently available with electrospray LC‐MS and MS‐MS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

离子富集脉冲电源对提高飞行时间质谱仪灵敏度的影响

研究自制离子富集脉冲电源对飞行时间质谱仪灵敏度的提高效果。离子富集脉冲电源包括脉冲信号产生模块、放大隔离模块、开关驱动模块、高压电路模块和负载阻抗匹配模块,输出一路中压脉冲信号,两路对称高压脉冲信号。利用自制电喷雾电离源及激光解析电离源与飞行时间质谱仪联用,调试中压脉冲信号。结果显示,应用离子富集脉冲电源后仪器对不同样品的检测灵敏度可提高6~24倍。     

Application of porous metal enrichment probe sampling to single cell analysis using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS)

There is an increasing need for analyzing metabolism in a single cell, which is important to understand the nature of cellular heterogeneity, disease, growth and specialization, etc. However, single cell analysis is often challenging for the traces of samples. In the present study, porous metal enrichment probe sampling combined with matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry ( MALDI‐TOF‐MS) has been applied for in situ analysis of live onion epidemic cell. Porous probe, treated by corroding copper wire with HCl, was directly inserted into a single cell to get cell solution. A self‐made linear actuator was enough to control the penetration of probe into the target cell accurately. Then samples on the tip of probe were eluted and detected by a commercial MALDI‐TOF‐MS directly. The formation of porous microstructure on the probe surface increased the adsorptive capacity of cell solution. The sensitivity of porous probe sampling was 6 times higher than uncorroded probes generally. This method provides a sensitive and convenient way for the sampling and detection of single cell solution. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of antioxidants in insulation cladding of copper wire: a comparison of different mass spectrometric techniques (ESI–IT,MALDI–RTOF and RTOF–SIMS)

Commercial copper wire and its polymer insulation cladding was investigated for the presence of three synthetic antioxidants (ADK STAB AO412S, Irganox 1010 and Irganox MD 1024) by three different mass spectrometric techniques including electrospray ionization–ion trap–mass spectrometry (ESI–IT–MS), matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization reflectron time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MALDI–RTOF–MS) and reflectron TOF secondary ion mass spectrometry (RTOF–SIMS). The samples were analyzed either directly without any treatment (RTOF–SIMS) or after a simple liquid/liquid extraction step (ESI–IT–MS, MALDI–RTOF–MS and RTOF–SIMS). Direct analysis of the copper wire itself or of the insulation cladding by RTOF–SIMS allowed the detection of at least two of the three antioxidants but at rather low sensitivity as molecular radical cations and with fairly strong fragmentation (due to the highly energetic ion beam of the primary ion gun). ESI–IT‐ and MALDI–RTOF–MS‐generated abundant protonated and/or cationized molecules (ammoniated or sodiated) from the liquid/liquid extract. Only ESI–IT–MS allowed simultaneous detection of all three analytes in the extract of insulation claddings. The latter two so‐called ‘soft’ desorption/ionization techniques exhibited intense fragmentation only by applying low‐energy collision‐induced dissociation (CID) tandem MS on a multistage ion trap‐instrument and high‐energy CID on a tandem TOF‐instrument (TOF/RTOF), respectively. Strong differences in the fragmentation behavior of the three analytes could be observed between the different CID spectra obtained from either the IT‐instrument (collision energy in the very low eV range) or the TOF/RTOF‐instrument (collision energy 20 keV), but both delivered important structural information. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometric Detection of Biomolecules by Using Functional Single‐Walled Carbon Nanohorns as the Matrix

A surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometric (SALDI‐TOF MS) method was developed for the analysis of small biomolecules by using functional single‐walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) as matrix. The functional SWNHs could transfer energy to the analyte under laser irradiation for accelerating its desorption and ionization, which led to low matrix effect, avoided fragmentation of the analyte, and provided high salt tolerance. Biomolecules including amino acids, peptides, and fatty acids could successfully be analyzed with about 3‐ and 5‐fold higher signals than those obtained using conventional matrix. By integrating the advantages of SWNHs and the recognition ability of aptamers, a selective approach was proposed for simultaneous capture, enrichment, ionization, and MS detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This method showed a greatly improved detection limit (1.0 μM ) for the analysis of ATP in complex biological samples. This newly designed protocol not only opened a new application of SWNHs, but also offered a new technique for selective MS analysis of biomolecules based on aptamer recognition systems.     

A comparative study of the fragmentation of neutral lactooligosaccharides in negative-ion mode by UV-MALDI-TOF and UV-MALDI ion-trap/TOF mass spectrometry

Structure analyses of underivatized neutral lacto oligosaccharides are systematically performed by ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UV-MALDI TOF MS) and UV-MALDI ion-trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ion-trap/TOF MS) acquired in negative-ion mode. Interestingly, their fragmentation significantly differ each other. In postsource decay (PSD) in UV-MALDI TOF MS, cross-ring cleavage at the reducing terminal predominates. On the other hand, glycosyl bond cleavage (C-type fragmentation) takes place preferentially in collision induced dissociation (CID) in UV-MALDI ion-trap/TOF MS. The cross-ring cleavage in PSD similar to that in in-source decay occurs via a prompt reaction path characteristic of the UV-MALDI process itself. The product ion spectra of UV-MALDI ion-trap/TOF MS are similar to the electrospray ionization (ESI) ion-trap or quadrupole/TOF CID product ion spectra. During ion-trap/TOF MS experiments, the deprotonated molecular ions survive for several tens of milliseconds after CID event because the high internal energy chlorinated precursor ions are cooled by collisional cooling in the ion trap. The results obtained suggest that the PSD from the chlorinated precursor ion in UV-MALDI TOF MS might proceed as a two-step reaction; in the first, a high internal energy deprotonated molecular ion is generated as a reaction intermediate during the flight in the drift tube, and in the second, the rapid decomposition from the deprotonated molecular ion takes place.     

Direct characterization of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa using HPLC with diode array detection coupled to ESI and ion trap MS

The phenolic fraction and other polar compounds of the Hibiscus sabdariffa were separated and identified by HPLC with diode array detection coupled to electrospray TOF and IT tandem MS (DAD‐HPLC‐ESI‐TOF‐MS and IT‐MS). The H. sabdariffa aqueous extract was filtered and directly injected into the LC system. The analysis of the compounds was carried out by RP HPLC coupled to DAD and TOF‐MS in order to obtain molecular formula and exact mass. Posterior analyses with IT‐MS were performed and the fragmentation pattern and confirmation of the structures were achieved. The H. sabdariffa samples were successfully analyzed in positive and negative ionization modes with two optimized linear gradients. In positive mode, the two most representative anthocyanins and other compounds were identified whereas the phenolic fraction, hydroxycitric acid and its lactone were identified using the negative ionization mode.     

Quantitative analysis of multiple urinary biomarkers of carcinoid tumors through gold-nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A simple technique for quantitative analysis of four urinary biomarkers, tryptophan (TRP), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) of carcinoid tumors is developed using gold nanoparticles as the assisted matrix in surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SALDI–TOF MS). The optimal SALDI conditions for the efficient ionization of those biomarkers are systematically explored by the adjustments of the concentrations of gold nanoparticles and internal standards. The mass spectra with strong signals and minimal background noise are obtained using 1-naphthaleneacetamide (NAD) as the internal standard. The calibration curves of the biomarker concentrations are determined using SALDI–TOF MS and the high linearity is obtained in all samples. For future clinical testing, multiplexed detection of those biomarkers in the urine samples of healthy males is performed. The successful quantitative detections of TRP, 5-HTP, 5-HT and 5-HIAA indicate that our technique provided great potentials to be developed a simple and rapid platform for the tumor biomarker detections.     

Tunable fragmentation of organic molecules in laser ablation glow discharge time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A DC-pulsed glow discharge (GD) has distinct temporal regimes which are characterized by “softer” or “harder” ionization of analytes introduced into the discharge. It is thus possible to obtain both molecular weight and structural fragment information from the same spectra. In order to extend the capabilities of this technique a laser ablation (LA) sampling system was coupled to a DC-pulsed GD and to a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer (MS) for characterizing organic samples such as oleic acid, reserpine, two different peptides, and a polymer. Both hard and soft ionization regimes were studied. These LAGD-TOFMS results were compared to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) spectra using the same compounds (i.e., analytes, concentration, and matrix). It was found that LAGD offers tunable ionization and provides a reduced matrix dependence. However, the sensitivity achieved by the prototype LAGD-TOFMS was significantly lower when compared with commercially available MALDI-TOFMS instrumentation. Since LAGD-TOFMS is rather new, some technical details to increase its sensitivity are discussed.