Investigation of ion/molecule reactions as a quantification method for phosphorylated positional isomers. an FT-ICR approach

A rapid and accurate method of quantifying positional isomeric mixtures of phosphorylated hexose and N-acetylhexosamine monosacchrides by using gas-phase ion/molecule reactions coupled with FT-ICR mass spectrometry is described. Trimethyl borate, the reagent gas, reacts readily with the singly charged negative ions of phosphorylated monosaccharides to form two stable product ions corresponding to the loss of one or two neutral molecules of methanol from the original adduct. Product distribution in the ion/molecule reaction spectra differs significantly for isomers phosphorylated in either the 1- or the 6-position. As a result, the percents of total ion current of these product ions for a mixture of the two isomers vary with its composition. In order to determine the percentage of each isomer in an unknown mixture, a multicomponent quantification method is utilized in which the percents of total ion current of the two product ions for each pure monosaccharide phosphate and the mixture are used in a two-equation, two-unknown system. The applicability of this method is demonstrated by successfully quantifying mock mixtures of four different isomeric pairs: Glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate; mannose-1-phosphate and mannose-6-phosphate; galactose-1-phosphate and galactose-6-phosphate; N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate and N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate. The effects of mixture concentrations and ion/molecule reaction conditions on the quantification are also discussed. Our results demonstrate that this assay is a fast, sensitive, and robust method to quantify isomeric mixtures of phosphorylated monosaccharides.     

Investigation of isomeric flavanol structures in black tea thearubigins using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid quadrupole/ion mobility/time of flight mass spectrometry

Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) when coupled to ion mobility (IMS)/orthogonal acceleration time of flight mass spectrometry is a suitable technique for analyzing complex mixtures such as the black tea thearubigins. With the aid of this advanced instrumental analysis, we were able to separate and identify different isomeric components in the complex mixture which could previously not be differentiated by a conventional high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. In this study, the difference between isomeric structures theasinensins, proanthocyanidins B‐type and rutin (quercetin‐3O‐rutinoside) were studied, and these are present abundantly in many botanical sources. The differentiation between these structures was accomplished according to their acquired mobility drift times differing from the traditional investigations in mass spectrometry, where calculation of theoretical collisional cross sections allowed assignment of the individual isomeric structures. The present work demonstrates UPLC–IMS‐MS as an efficient technology for isolating and separating isobaric and isomeric structures existing in complex mixtures discriminating between them according to their characteristic fragment ions and mobility drift times. Therefore, a rational assignment of isomeric structures in many phenolic secondary metabolites based on the ion mobility data might be useful in mass spectrometry‐based structure analysis in the future. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ionspray mass spectrometry of marine toxins. III. Analysis of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins by flow-injection analysis, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry.

Ionspray mass spectrometry has been used to monitor the purification of saxitoxin, the parent compound in the family of toxins responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), from a strain of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium excavatum. Quantitative results obtained by flow-injection analysis are compared to those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column oxidation and fluorescence detection. The coupling of liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis with ionspray mass spectrometry is described for the separation of mixtures of PSP toxins and the highly potent pufferfish toxin tetrodotoxin. Tandem mass spectrometry is used to provide the structural information, and the ability to distinguish isomeric PSP toxins both chromatographically and mass spectrometrically is demonstrated.     

Simplification and accuracy test for the collision cross-section-based quantification of isomeric ion mixtures

A method was devised to determine the isomeric composition of an ionic mixture using collisionally activated decomposition mass spectrometry. Compared with the more rigorous approach based on collision cross-sections reported previously, the main advantage of the proposed method is its experimental simplicity. Both the internal consistency and the accuracy of the method were tested for mixtures of isobaric ions, i.e. ions with the same nominal mass-to-charge ratios.     

Direct analysis by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry of mixtures of phosphatidyldiacylglycerols from Lactobacillus

Electrospray ionization followed by collision-induced dissociation in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer of mixtures of deprotonated phosphatidyldiacylglycerols afforded a group of three diagnostic ions of convenient abundance for each phosphatidyldiacylglycerol (PG) present in the mixture. Thus, it was possible to determine unmistakably the identity and substitution positions (sn-1 or sn-2) for both acyl groups of each PG present in the mixture. The method also allows the study of isomeric mixtures of PG and mixtures containing minor amounts of some PG from crude extracts of Lactobacillus acidophillus. The present results improve those of previous studies using fast atom bombardment and electrospray ionization tanden mass spectrometry, in which it was reported that it was possible to differentiate the identity and position of the sn-2 acyl substituent only by the presence of one ion, with variable abundance.     

Photochemical reactions of substituted cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl complexes with acetylenes

When mixtures of monosubstituted cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl complexes and propyne are irradiated, substituted toluenes are obtained. The composition of the isomeric mixture is influenced by the nature of the substituent in the metal complex. Electron-withdrawing groups produce mixtures containing a very large percent of the ortho isomer while electron-releasing groups yield mixtures rich in the para isomer. Complex mixtures of isomeric benzene compounds are obtained when substituted acetylenes are allowed to react with methyl- or isopropylcyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl.     

Differentiation and quantitation of isomeric dipeptides by low-energy dissociation of copper(II)-bound complexes

Application of the kinetic method based on the dissociation of transition metal centered cluster ions is extended from chiral analysis (Tao, W. A.; Zhang, D.; Nikolaev, E. N.; Cooks, R. G. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10598) to quantitative analysis of isomeric mixtures, including those with Leu/Ile substitutions. Copper(II)-bound complexes of pairs of peptide isomers are generated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and the trimeric complex [CuII(ref)2(A) - H]+ (analyte A, a mixture of isomeric peptides; reference compound ref, usually a peptide) is caused to undergo collisional dissociation. Competitive loss of the neutral reference compound or the neutral analyte yields two ionic products and the ratio of rates of the two competitive dissociations, viz. the product ion branching ratio R is shown to depend strongly on the regiochemistry of the analyte in the precursor [CuII(A)(ref)2 - H]+ complex ion. Calibration curves are constructed by relating the branching ratio measured by the kinetic method, to the isomeric composition of the mixture to allow rapid quantitative isomer analysis.     

Analyse qualitative et quantitative de melanges complexes de chlorures de lanthanides,en utilisant la dispersion rotatoire magnetique

The general features of a new physical process for the qualitative and quantitative routine analysis of rare earth mixtures are given. The characteristic sharp lines in the magneto-optical rotation spectra of these elements are utilized. The recording photoelectric spectropolarimeter used is described briefly. A comparison is made with two other physical processes-absorption and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The proposed method appears to be the best when a mixture with more than 3 or 4 elements must be analysed. The sensitivity and accuracy are given for 9 rare earths. Improvements of the process are suggested.     

大气气溶胶中多环芳烃的特征光谱检测技术研究

采用紫外-可见分光光度法、傅立叶红外光谱法和恒能量同步荧光分析法进行实验室模拟测试,检测蒽、苯并[a]芘、荧蒽、苯并[k]荧蒽、苯并[ghi]苝5种多环芳烃(PAHs),对比分析了各检测技术的灵敏度、精密度、检出限、线性范围、混合组分图谱分离度等指标。结果表明,恒能量同步荧光法的选择性最好,灵敏度(0.046 0~1.360 5Io.ng-1)和精密度(平均空白的RSD为4.1%)均最高,检出限(0.038~0.427μg.L-1)最低,线性范围较宽(0.126~7 157μg.L-1),是3种光谱分析法中最适合无分离在线检测气溶胶中多组分PAHs的方法。将该方法应用于实际大气环境气溶胶样品中各PAHs成分的定性鉴别和定量检测,5种PAHs均被检出,各物质的特征峰分离效果好,峰形明显,能满足实际测量的分析要求。     

Quantification of isomers from a mixture of twelve heparin and heparan sulfate disaccharides using tandem mass spectrometry

Heparin/heparan sulfate-like glycosaminoglycans (HSGAGs) have been implicated in clinically relevant processes such as hemostasis, infection, development, and cancer progression, through their interactions with proteins. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MSn) were combined to identify and quantify 12 HSGAG disaccharides that can be generated by enzymatic depolymerization with heparin lyases. This technique includes free amine-containing disaccharides that had previously been observed in MSn but not quantified. Our methods use diagnostic product ions from MSn spectra of up to three isomeric disaccharides at once, and up to three sequential stages of MSn in tandem, for the quantitative analysis of the relative percentage of each of these isomers. The isomer quantification was validated using mock mixtures and showed acceptable accuracy and precision. These methods may be applied to the quantification of other isomers by MSn. While each of the 12 disaccharides alone had a linear response to an internal standard in the MS1 spectra, the individual response factors did not remain constant when the concentrations of the other 11 disaccharides in the mixtures fluctuated, due to competition for electrospray ionization. The absolute concentration of one fluctuating isomer was determined out of a constant mixture of the other disaccharides. The rapid, accurate, and sensitive quantification of all isomeric disaccharides may contribute to the eventual sequencing of longer saccharides by MSn, enabling the elucidation of the structure-function relationships of HSGAGs.     

Reactions of 5-(het)aryl-1-ethyl-2(1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis> )-pyrazinones with terminal arylacetylenes promoted by microwave radiation

The reaction of 5-(het)aryl-1-ethyl-2(1H)-pyrazinones with terminal arylacetylenes, leading to a mixture of two isomeric 4-aryl- and 5-aryl-substituted 2(1H)-pyridones has been investigated. The regioselectivity of this reaction has been shown on the basis of reaction mixtures study by chromato-mass spectrometry. A crystallographic investigation of the synthesized 2(1H)-pyridones and also a forecast of their potential biological activity have been carried out.     

Diastereomer Resolution of M4L6 Coordination Cages by Ultra-High-Resolution Ion-Mobility Mass Spectrometry

Coordination cages can be used for enantio- and regioselective catalysis and for the selective sensing and separation of isomeric guest molecules. Here, stereoisomers of a family of coordination cages are resolved using ultra-high-resolution cyclic ion-mobility mass spectrometry (cIM-MS). The observed ratio of diastereomers is dependent on both the metal ion and counter ion. Moreover, the point groups can be assigned through complementary NMR experiments. This method enables the identification and interrogation of the individual isomers in complex mixtures of cages which cannot be performed in solution. Furthermore, these techniques allow the stability of individual isomers within the mixture to be probed, with the T-symmetric isomers in this case shown to be more robust than the C₃ and S₄ analogues.     

High-Field Asymmetric-Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Electron Detachment Dissociation of Isobaric Mixtures of Glycosaminoglycans

High-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) is shown to be capable of resolving isomeric and isobaric glycosaminoglycan negative ions and to have great utility for the analysis of this class of molecules when combined with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry. Electron detachment dissociation (EDD) and other ion activation methods for tandem mass spectrometry can be used to determine the sites of labile sulfate modifications and for assigning the stereochemistry of hexuronic acid residues of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). However, mixtures with overlapping mass-to-charge values present a challenge, as their precursor species cannot be resolved by a mass analyzer prior to ion activation. FAIMS is shown to resolve two types of mass-to-charge overlaps. A mixture of chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) oligomers with 4–10 saccharides units produces ions of a single mass-to-charge by electrospray ionization, as the charge state increases in direct proportion to the degree of polymerization for these sulfated carbohydrates. FAIMS is shown to resolve the overlapping charge. A more challenging type of mass-to-charge overlap occurs for mixtures of diastereomers. FAIMS is shown to separate two sets of epimeric GAG tetramers. For the epimer pairs, the complexity of the separation is reduced when the reducing end is alkylated, suggesting that anomers are also resolved by FAIMS. The resolved components were activated by EDD and the fragment ions were analyzed by FTICR-MS. The resulting tandem mass spectra were able to distinguish the two epimers from each other.

Synthesis of new sulfanyl-, sulfinyl-, and sulfonyl-substituted polychlorobuta-1,3-dienes

New R-sulfanyl-substituted polychlorobuta-1,3-dienes were synthesized by reactions of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene or 1,1,2,4,4-pentachlorobuta-1,3-diene with dimethylbenzenethiols, heptane-1-thiol, and 4-methyl-7-sulfanyl-2H-chromen-2-one. Some sulfides were oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones or brominated with bromine. Among the synthesized compounds, the coumarin derivative, 4-methyl-7-(1,2,3,4,4-pentachlorobuta-1,3-dien-1-ylsulfanyl)-2H-chromen-2-one showed fluorescence properties. 1,1′,1″-[3,4-Dichlorobuta-1,3-diene-1,1,4-triyltris(sulfanediyl)]tris(2,4-dimethylbenzene) reacted with potassium tert-butoxide in petroleum ether to afford a mixture of isomeric 1,1′,1″-[4-chlorobuta-1,2,3-triene-1,1.4-triyltris(sulfanediyl)]tris(2,4-dimethylbenzene) and 1,1′,1″-[2-chlorobut-1-en-3-yne-1,1,4-triyltris(sulfanediyl)]-tris(2,4-dimethylbenzene). The GC/MS method was found to be useful for the separation of some sulfanyl-substituted butadiene isomer mixtures. The synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, mass spectrometry, UV-Vis, IR, and NMR (¹H, ¹³C) or fluorescence spectroscopy.     

Gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for the characterization of complex mixtures of large oligosaccharides

High temperature gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry are used in the characterization of complex natural mixtures of permethylated oligosaccharides released from proteins or lipids. The high resolution allows separation of isomeric compounds and the mass range extends to oligosac-charides around molecular mass 2000 daltons or 10 sugar residues for isomalto-oligosaccharides. The mass spectra of permethylated oligosaccharide alditols from mucin glycopeptides are very informative and the approach allows a simple and rapid characterization of these complex components.     

Recognition and quantification of binary and ternary mixtures of isomeric peptides by the kinetic method: metal ion and ligand effects on the dissociation of metal-bound complexes

The kinetic method is applied to differentiate and quantify mixtures of isomeric tripeptides based on the competitive dissociations of divalent metal ion-bound clusters in an ion trap mass spectrometer. This methodology is extended further to determine compositions of ternary mixtures of the isomers Gly-Gly-Ala (GGA), Ala-Gly-Gly (AGG), and Gly-Ala-Gly (GAG). This procedure also allows to perform chiral quantification of a ternary mixture of optical isomers. The divalent metal ion Ca(II) is particularly appropriate for isomeric distinction and quantification of the isobaric tripeptides Gly-Gly-Leu/Gly-Gly-Ile (GGL/GGI). Among the first-row transition metal ions, Cu(II) yields remarkably effective isomeric differentiation for both the isobaric tripeptides, GGI/GGL using GAG as the reference ligand, and the positional isomers GAG/GGA using GGI as the reference ligand. This is probably due to agostic bonding: alpha-agostic bonding occurs between Cu(II) and GAG and beta-agostic bonding between Cu(II) and GGI, each produces large but different steric effects on the stability of the Cu(II)-bound dimeric clusters. These data form the basis for possible future quantitative analyses of mixtures of larger peptides such as are generated, for example, in combinatorial synthesis of peptides and peptide mimics.     

Pre-concentration of rare earths using silica gel loaded with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) and determination by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence

The determination of a single rare earth element in a mixture with other species of this family is a very challenging problem in analytical chemistry due to the close similarity of their chemical properties. In this work, a liquid–solid extraction procedure for praseodymium, neodymium, samarium and yttrium mixtures and subsequent determination by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is described. The pre-concentration procedure, which involves the use of silica modified with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol, permits complete recovery of the rare earths and significant sensitivity enhancement in comparison with direct determination in the aqueous phase. Determinations in quaternary mixtures show typical precisions and accuracies of 3% and 5%, respectively.     

Detection and quantification of the sulfated disaccharides in chondroitin sulfate by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A new method of identifying and quantifying the disaccharide building blocks of glycosaminoglycans is introduced. The polysaccharides are subjected to an enzymatic digestion that releases the sulfated disaccharides. The disaccharides are then identified using a combination of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. Quantification of the isomeric disaccharides is also achieved by tandem mass spectrometry, using a recently developed methodology which quantifies mixtures of isomers without the use of chromatography or prior separation. Using mass spectrometry to characterize the components of glycosaminoglycans significantly reduces both sample consumption and analysis time of traditional methods.     

Experimental data of isobaric vapour–liquid equilibrium for binary mixtures containing tetrahydrofuran and isomeric chlorobutanes

Isobaric vapour–liquid equilibrium (VLE) measurements for mixtures formed by tetrahydrofuran and isomeric chlorobutanes at 40.0?kPa (except for the mixture containing 2-methyl-2-chloropropane) and 101.3?kPa are reported. The activity coefficients were calculated from experimental data. The mixture containing 2-chlorobutane at 40.0?kPa presents an azeotrope. The VLE measurements have been found thermodynamically consistent according to Van Ness test. Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC equations have been used to correlate the activity coefficients and we have obtained satisfactory results.     

Arrival time distributions of product ions reveal isomeric ratio of deprotonated molecules in ion mobility–mass spectrometry of hyaluronan‐derived oligosaccharides

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring linear polysaccharide with substantial medical potential. In this work, discrimination of tyramine‐based hyaluronan derivatives was accessed by ion mobility–mass spectrometry of deprotonated molecules and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. As the product ion mass spectra did not allow for direct isomer discrimination in mixture, the reductive labeling of oligosaccharides as well as stable isotope labeling was performed. The ion mobility separation of parent ions together with the characteristic fragmentation for reduced isomers providing unique product ions allowed us to identify isomers present in a mixture and determine their mutual isomeric ratio. The determination used simple recalculation of arrival time distribution areas of unique ions to areas of deprotonated molecules. Mass spectrometry data were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.