Massive cluster impact mass spectrometry: a new desorption method for the analysis of large biomolecules.

A new ion desorption method is described that utilizes a primary beam of massive, multiply charged cluster ions to generate secondary ions of peptides in a glycerol matrix. The massive cluster ion beam is generated via electrohydrodynamic emission using a 1.5 M solution of ammonium acetate in 30% aqueous glycerol. Negative ion spectra of peptides obtained using this technique show greatly decreased relative intensities for fragment ions and 'chemical noise' background when compared to spectra obtained using a xenon atom primary beam. The near absence of fragments derived from radiation damage to the sample solution is attributed to the impact of primary particles with energies less than 1 eV/nucleon.     

Method for improved secondary ion yields in cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry

A method to increase useful yields of organic molecules is investigated by cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Glycerol drops were deposited onto various inkjet‐printed arrays and the organic molecules in the film were rapidly incorporated into the drop. The resulting glycerol/analyte drops were then probed with fullerene primary ions under dynamic SIMS conditions. High primary ion beam currents were shown to aid in the mixing of the glycerol drop, thus replenishing the probed area and sustaining high secondary ion yields. Integrated secondary ion signals for tetrabutylammonium iodide and cocaine in the glycerol drops were enhanced by more than a factor of 100 compared with an analogous area on the surface, and a factor of 1000 over the lifetime of the glycerol drop. Once the analyte of interest is incorporated into the glycerol microdrop, the solution chemistry can be tailored for enhanced secondary ion yields, with examples shown for cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) chloride adduct formation. In addition, depositing localized glycerol drops may enhance analyte secondary ion count rates to high enough levels to allow for site‐specific chemical maps of molecules in complex matrices such as biological tissues. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative studies of SIMS and SNMS analyses during the build up of sputter equilibrium under oxygen and rare gas ion bombardment

Sputtering of solid surfaces by using a focused ion beam is the basis for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and sputtered neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS). The ion bombardment initiates not only redistribution of sample atoms but also massive changes in the surface and near surface composition of the bombarded area due to the sputter process and implantation of the primary ions. Changes in the matrix-composition affects the secondary ion yields and therefore a steady state (sputter equilibrium) has to be reached before SIMS data can give quantifiable results. SNMS is much less affected by those yield effects and therefore a combination of SIMS and SNMS can establish a basis for interpretation of SIMS data before the steady state is reached. In order to determine the effects of primary ion incorporation, we applied different primary ion species successively to generate different equilibria. An oxygen ion beam oxidizes the sample surface and by using a rare gas primary ion (PI) this oxide can be removed and analyzed.     

Is there a ‘matrix suppression effect’ under fast‐atom bombardment liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry of ionic surfactants in glycerol?

Some features of a ‘matrix suppression effect’ caused by ionic surface‐active compounds under fast‐atom bombardment (FAB) liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) are being revised. It is shown that abundant transfer of the glycerol matrix molecules to the gas phase does occur under FAB‐LSIMS of ionic surfactants, contrary to popular belief. This process can be obscure because of the dependence of the charge state of the glycerol‐containing cluster ions on the type of ionic surfactant. It is revealed that, while glycerol matrix signals are really completely suppressed in the positive ion mass spectra of cationic surfactants (decamethoxinum, aethonium), abundant deprotonated glycerol and glycerol‐anion clusters are recorded in the negative ion mode. In the case of an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate), on the contrary, glycerol is completely suppressed in the negative ion mode, but is present in the protonated and cationized forms in the positive ion mass spectra. It is suggested that such patterns of positive and negative ion FAB‐LSIMS spectra of ionic surfactants solutions reflect the structure and composition of the electric double layer formed at the vacuum‐liquid interface by organic cations or anions and their counterions. Processes leading to the formation of the glycerol‐containing ions preferentially of positive or negative charge are discussed. The most obvious of them is efficient binding of glycerol to inorganic counterions of the salts Cl^? or Na⁺, which is confirmed by data from quantum chemical calculations. The high content of the counterions and relatively small content of glycerol in the sputtered zone may be responsible for the charge‐selective suppression of neat glycerol clusters of opposite charge to the counterions. In the case of a mixture of cationic and anionic surfactants the substitution of inorganic counterions by organic ones was observed. The dependence of the exchange rate in the surface layer is not a linear function of the bulk solution concentration, and an effect of abrupt recharging of the surface can be registered. No both positively or negatively charged pure glycerol and glycerol‐inorganic counterion clusters are recorded for the mixture. Correlations between the mass spectrometric observations and some phenomena of surface and colloid chemistry and physics are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Orthogonal time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis of peptides using large gold clusters as primary ions

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for biomolecular analysis is greatly enhanced by the instrumental combination of orthogonal extraction time-of-flight mass spectrometry with massive gold cluster primary ion bombardment. Precursor peptide molecular ion yield enhancements of 1000, and signal-to-noise improvements of up to 20, were measured by comparing SIMS spectra obtained using Au(+) and massive Au(400) (4+) cluster primary ion bombardment of neat films of the neuropeptide fragment dynorphin 1-7. Remarkably low damage cross-sections were also measured from dynorphin 1-7 and gramicidin S during prolonged bombardment with 40 keV Au(400) (4+). For gramicidin S, the molecular ion yield increases slightly as a function of Au(400) (4+) beam fluence up to at least 2 x 10(13) Au(400) (4+)/cm(2). This is in marked contrast to the rapid decrease observed when bombarding with ions such as Au(5) (+) and Au(9) (+). When gramicidin S is impinged with Au(5) (+), the molecular ion yield decreases by a factor of 10 after a fluence of only 8 x 10(12) ions/cm(2). Comparison of these damage cross-sections implies that minimal surface damage occurs during prolonged Au(400) (4+) bombardment. Several practical analytical implications are drawn from these observations.     

Evidence for thermal decomposition contributions to the mass spectra of chlorinated phenoxyacid herbicides obtained by particle beam liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

The spectral quality of a group of chlorinated phenoxyacid herbicides has been shown to degrade under certain conditions upon introduction into the mass spectrometer by a particle beam interface. Experiments were performed to investigate these changes in spectra. Normalized ion chromatograms were generated for the herbicides, and the results showed a broadening of the profiles of some ions, indicating a longer residence time in the ion source. These ions were postulated as coming from the ionization of thermal degradation products from the herbicides. The generation of these ions was dependent on ion source temperature, analyte concentration, and, by implication, ion source cleanliness. Tandem mass spectrometry experiments were performed on these ions from the herbicides and ions from the corresonding phenols. The tandem mass spectra of the ions from the herbicides were similar to the tandem mass spectra of the ions from the phenols. Therefore, it appears that the particle beam mass spectra of the chlorinated phenoxyacid herbicides are composite spectra with contributions from the gas phase ionization of the parent herbidides and thermal decomposition products.     

Influence of experimental conditions on the liquid secondary ion mass spectra of sulfonated azo dyes

Two monosulfonated and eight disulfonated azo dyes of varying relative molecular mass were examined by liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS). The effects of matrix, concentration, primary beam energy, and mode of operation were addressed in order to optimize sample ionization, whilst minimizing interference from matrix ions. Seven matrices were investigated: glycerol, thioglycerol, 3-nitrobenzyl alcohol, diethanolamine, 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide, a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide and thioglycerol, and a 1 : 3 (v/v) mixture of dithioerythritol and dithiothreitol. Of these matrices, 3-nitrobenzyl alcohol produced LSIMS spectra that exhibited the most intense sample ions and the least inteiference from matrix ions. Minimum concentrations of 0.4 μg/μl and 4 μg/μl (dye in matrix) were necessary to produce useful full-scan spectra for monosulfonated azo dyes and disulfonated azo dyes, respectively; maximum sample ion intensities were obtained with concentrations ranging from 20 μg/μl to 60 μg/μl. A primary ion beam (cesium) of 10 to 15 kV produced the greatest secondary ionization efficiency, and a negative-ion analysis mode produced more useful spectra than those obtained in the positive-ion mode.     

Characterization of high explosive particles using cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry

The use of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for the detection and spatially resolved analysis of individual high explosive particles is described. A C(8) (-) carbon cluster primary ion beam was used in a commercial SIMS instrument to analyze samples of high explosives dispersed as particles on silicon substrates. In comparison with monatomic primary ion bombardment, the carbon cluster primary ion beam was found to greatly enhance characteristic secondary ion signals from the explosive compounds while causing minimal beam-induced degradation. The resistance of these compounds to degradation under ion bombardment allows explosive particles to be analyzed under high primary ion dose bombardment (dynamic SIMS) conditions, facilitating the rapid acquisition of spatially resolved molecular information. The use of cluster SIMS combined with computer control of the sample stage position allows for the automated identification and counting of explosive particle distributions on silicon surfaces. This will be useful for characterizing the efficiency of transfer of particulates in trace explosive detection portal collectors and/or swipes utilized for ion mobility spectrometry applications.     

An evaluation of atmospheric pressure ionization techniques for the analysis of N-Methyl carbamate pesticides by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure ionization (API) techniques are evaluated for the mass spectral analysis of N-methyl carbamate pesticides. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) using a heated nebulizer interface provided both protonated molecules and abundant, characteristic fragment ions. With ion spray (ISP; pneumatically assisted electrospray ionization), which utilizes a milder “ion evaporation” process, primarily protonated molecules were obtained, although fragment ions similar to those observed in APCI could be induced by variation of the API orifice voltage. Product ion spectra of ISP-derived protonated molecules, generated by tandem mass spectrometry using collision-induced dissociation, are also presented. The APCI and ISP spectra of the carbamates are compared to those obtained with a thermospray interface and also to their electron ionization and methane CI spectra obtained with a particle beam interface. For all four interfaces, combined liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods using conventional (4.6 mm i.d.) columns are described for the separation and detection of pesticide mixtures. These methods are applied to the confirmatory analysis of three representative carbamate pesticides, spiked at the 0.1-ppm level in green peppers. For those carbamates amenable to gas chromatography mass spectrometry, comparative results are presented.     

Simultaneous determination of beclomethasone, beclomethasone monopropionate and beclomethasone dipropionate in biological fluids using a particle beam interface for combining liquid chromatography with negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A new simple and sensitive assay has been developed for the simultaneous quantitative measurement of beclomethasone dipropionate and its hydrolysis products in human plasma and urine. Beclomethasone 17.21-dipropionate, beclomethasone 17-monopropionate, beclomethasone and the internal standard, dexamethasone 21-acetate, were measured by combined liquid chromatography and negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry with methane as the reagent gas. A particle beam interface from Hewlett Packard was used. Under mild operating conditions, abundant and stable characteristic high-mass ions were generated in the ion source of the mass spectrometer by a resonance electron-capture mechanism. The fast extraction procedure requires 1 ml of plasma or urine, and the quantification limit of the method is 1 ng ml-1 for the three tested compounds.     

Shock wave model for sputtering biomolecules using massive cluster impacts

A shock wave model is proposed to explain certain features of recently reported spectra obtained by massive duster impact (MCI) mass spectrometry. It is suggested that clusters that impact glycerol matrices with energies/nucleon in the range 0.01 eV/u < E/N < 1.0 eV/u provide an extremely soft method for sputtering intact biomolecules, Compared to the high energy/nucleon characteristic of atomic or molecular ion primary beams (typically < 50 eV/u), massive cluster primary beams possess much lower energies/nucleon, which are insufficient to cause appreciable ionization and radiation damage of matrix material. Moreover, fragmentation products of parent molecular ions are effectively lower. With these benefits, MCI spectra show lower chemical noise background and enhanced signalto-noise ratios. Rankine-Hugoniot analysis of the shock conditions is used to arrive at an estimate of the heat retained in the collision-affected matrix volume after bombardment by a characteristic cluster. For a cluster collision resulting in a 26.8 GPa shock pressure, by analogy with water data, rapid heating of the shocked volume to 1000 °C or more is plausible. In a beam consisting of clusters distributed in size and charge, an estimate is made for the range of cluster sizes over which hyrodynamic shock wave theory applies.     

Screening for central nervous system-stimulating drugs in human plasma by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

Liquid chromatography and electrospray mass spectrometry was evaluated for screening of more than 70 central nervous system-stimulating drugs in human plasma. Protein precipitation was utilized as a simple sample preparation procedure, and the subsequent screening procedure involved two injections in a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system for each sample; a first screening without source induced dissociation to maximize sensitivity where potential positive identifications were based on retention time and molecular ion masses, and secondly a source induced dissociation confirmation based on retention time, molecular ions, and one or two fragment ions for each target generated by a 25 V fragmentation energy. The majority of central nerve system stimulating drugs were possible to identify within the actual therapeutic ranges. Experiences with 175 real samples supported this and strongly indicated that information reported by patients on their consumption of central nerve system stimulating drugs is highly unreliable. Thus, protein precipitation and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry may be a valuable tool for broad drug screening in human plasma in the future.     

Quantitative depth profiling by laser-ionization sputtered neutral mass spectrometry

Depth profiling by laser-ionization sputtered neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) is reviewed. The matrix effects, including surface and interface effects, in laser-ionization SNMS and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) are compared with each other and discussed. Laser-ionization SNMS can provide depth profiles with much smaller matrix effects than conventional SIMS. Depth resolution can effectively be improved by using grazing incidence for the primary ion beam with little interfacial effect. The quantification method in laser-ionization SNMS is also mentioned.     

Quantification of SIMS depth profiles of ODS-superalloys by using cluster ion formation from reactive primary ions

Cluster ion formation, with both oxygen and caesium as reactive elements, (MO^– and MCs⁺ ions) has been studied using secondary ion mass spectrometry. A comparison of various primary ion beam conditions is given. The investigations were carried out on aluminium oxide films and required a special charge compensation method. An improvement in the quantification concentration by use of cluster ions can only be expected from MCs⁺ measurements; however the total ionization probabilities still depend on matrix composition.     

Dissociation study of tellurium cluster ions, Te(n)(+) (n = 25-85) using secondary ion mass spectrometry

Dissociation pathways of tellurium clusters, Te(n)(+) (n = 25-85), were investigated by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Positively charged ions were generated from a tellurium sheet by bombardment with 10 keV xenon ion beam. Mass analyses of cluster ions were performed using a grand-scale sector mass spectrometer. In the first field-free region, Te(n)(+) (n = 25-80) had a large dissociation probability with five- and six-atom emission and Te(n)(+) (n = 50-85) had a slightly large dissociation probability with 10- and 11-atom emission. Five- and six-atom dissociation in the second field-free region could be also observed. These results were most likely due to the cluster emission processes for Te(n)(+), although sequential atom emission and cluster emission could not be distinguished by this type of experiments.     

A wide-angle secondary ion probe for organic ion imaging

A secondary ion source has been developed for an organic ion microprobe capable of imaging samples up to 2 em in diameter. The source uses a focused 5 keY Cs⁺ ion beam which is rastered across the sample surface, and secondary ions from each point on the sample are collected and formed into a low energy beam to be analyzed by a quadrupole mass filter. Dynamic emittance matching is employed to deflect ions from off-axis points on the sample back onto the mass analyzer axis. Rastering and dynamic emittance matching are rapidly controlled by assembly language programs using an IBM/AT (80286) type computer. A low energy ion monitor was used to tune and evaluate the secondary ion source by providing a magnified cross-sectional image of the ion beam at the source exit aperture. A well-focused and centered secondary ion beam was obtained from each point on the sample, indicating that large-scale dynamic emittance matching with high collection efficiency is possible. Mass resolved images of grids and glycerol samples are shown to demonstrate the performance of the integrated secondary ion source mass analyzer and control system.     

Secondary ion emission from glycerol under continuous and pulsed primary ion current

Secondary ion intensity from glycerol is measured as a function of 5 keV primary ion current density and is found to be linear over the range 0.1–1 μA cm^?2. The possibility that protonated glycerol, or some other condensed-phase precursor to secondary protonated glycerol, exists in solution and enhances secondary ion emission from glycerol is investigated. Kinetics for formation of such precursors by the primary ion beam are described and evaluated by pulsed primary ion beam experiments. Depletion rates are calculated assuming diffusion from the surface as the major loss mechanism Results of this analysis indicate that the mechanism for secondary emission of protonated glycerol does not involve formation of precursors, e.g. solution-phase protonated glycerol, directly or indirectly by the primary ion beam.     

Systematic study of the effects of experimental parameters on the beam-induced dehalogenation of chlorpromazine in liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry

The effect of experimental parameters such as time of irradiation, analyte concentration, primary beam density, matrix selection and matrix additives on the beam-induced dehalogenation of chlorpromazine in liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) was investigated. It was found that dehalogenation of chlorpromazine in glycerol increased with increasing time of irradiation, analyte concentration and primary beam density. These results were compared with those obtained using 4-chlorophenylalanine ethyl ester and the differences observed were rationalized in terms of compound surface activity. Evidence is given that matrix selection is the key experimental parameter affecting the extent of beam-induced dehalogenation of chlorpromazine in LSIMS. Of the eleven matrices used, the greatest extent of dehalogenation was observed in glycerol. Sulfur-containing matrices consistently exhibited a lower extent of dehalogenation than oxygen-containing aliphatic matrices, implying that sulfur is implicated in mitigating the reduction process. Dehalogenation was totally inhibited in 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide, 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid and 3-nitrobenzyl alcohol. Similarly, the use of matrix additives such as 3-nitrobenzyl alcohol and trifluoroacetic acid was found to be useful in inhibiting the extent of dehalogenation occurring in glycerol.     

‘Fast atom bombardment’—A rediscovered method for mass spectrometry

In 1966, Devienne and co-workers studied extensively the sputtering of various target materials by a high energy molecular beam obtained by charge exchange. They obtained secondary ions that characterized for instance, organic and biological materials. These ions were analysed by mass spectrometry. This method was developed to be patented and many devices were studied. The principle of the apparatus constructed is very simple. An ion source produces an ion current of some microamperes. The ions are accelerated at some keV, and injected into a collision chamber in order to obtain a neutral beam by resonant charge exchange. The residual ions are deflected and this beam bombards the target. The target itself is surrounded by a small metal cylinder which is held at an appropriate potential to extract the positive or negative secondary ions formed. The ion beam is accelerated and focused into the entrance slit of a mass spectrometer. After the first devices, two types of apparatus were built in 1973 and 1975. With the first one, the analysis of the masses was obtained only by an electromagnet. The energy range of the secondary ions varied from 1 to 10 keV. The second apparatus was formed by an electromagnet, a dissociation chamber, and an electrostatic analyser. With this apparatus, it was possible to measure directly masses as large as 6000 daltons. With the first apparatus it was possible to study the adsorption of oxygen on silicon, and to obtain spectra, of many organics such as camphor, nitrodiphenylamine and, as in the earlier device, the spectrum of a non-volatile organic liquid diethylhexyl azelate, was obtained. After studies on different uranium compounds and their dissociations, the second apparatus was devoted to the formation and study of the chemical properties of clusters.     

Modifications to an analytical mass spectrometer for the soft-landing experiment

Modifications to a hybrid geometry beam mass spectrometer are described that allow its use for soft-landing of ions onto a stainless steel surface intercepting the ion beam at the site of the intermediate detector. Initial success is documented through the presence of metal ions brought to the surface as part of a complex, metal-containing cluster ion. Further, organic cations have also been soft landed at the collector surface, and electrospray ionization (ESI) and ESI tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the surface wash solution confirm preservation of the original organic structure. Future directions for predictable surface density collection strategies are described.