Duty cycle enhancement of an orthogonal acceleration TOF mass spectrometer using an axially-resonant excitation linear ion trap

We report a new technique to enhance detection duty cycle of an orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer (oaTOF) over a broad mass range. To this end, we used an axially-resonant-excitation linear ion trap, which ejects ions axially and mass selectively into a non-mass-selective linear ion trap in front of the TOF pusher. A delay between the ejection timing of the non-mass-selective LIT and the push timing of the oaTOF was swept mass-synchronously with the axially-resonant-excitation linear ion trap, so that ions are detected with duty cycle larger than 60% over a wide mass range from m/z 174.1 to 1922.0, which is 3 to 10 times better than conventional oaTOF.     

四极离子阱数字式共振激发控制技术的研发与应用

共振激发控制技术是提高四极离子阱分辨率、灵敏度,实现其多级质谱分析的关键技术。针对质谱仪小型化趋势,提出基于现场可编程门阵列(filed-programmable gate array,FPGA)软件实现直接数字合成器(direct digital synthesizer,DDS)信号幅度调制的方法,开发出数字式共振激发控制技术,研制出结构更简单的共振激发控制系统。在对性能要求较高的电喷雾离子源-矩形离子阱质谱仪中,应用这套系统实现了单质荷比选择离子、三级质谱分析和600~2000 Thomson质荷比范围的全扫描等功能。相比使用模拟技术实现幅度调制的控制单元,数字式共振激发控制单元的功耗只有其10%,系统性能也满足四极离子阱的需求。     

High-Capacity Ion Trap Coupled to a Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for Comprehensive Linked Scans with no Scanning Losses

A high-capacity ion trap coupled to a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer has been developed to carry out comprehensive linked scan analysis of all stored ions in the ion trap. The approach involves a novel tapered geometry high-capacity ion trap that can store more than 10(6) ions (range 800-4000 m/z) without degrading its performance. Ions are stored and scanned out from the high-capacity ion trap as a function of m/z, collisionally fragmented and analyzed by TOF. Accurate mass analysis is achieved on both the precursor and fragment ions of all species ejected from the ion trap. We demonstrate the approach for comprehensive linked-scan identification of phosphopeptides in mixtures with their corresponding unphosphorylated peptides.     

A new technique for unbiased external ion accumulation in a quadrupole two-dimensional ion trap for electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

External ion accumulation in a two-dimensional (2D) multipole trap has been shown to increase the sensitivity, dynamic range and duty cycle of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. However, it is important that trapped ions be detected without significant bias at longer accumulation times in the external 2D multipole trap. With increasing ion accumulation time pronounced m/z discrimination was observed when trapping ions in an accumulation quadrupole. In this work we show that superimposing lower rf-amplitude dipolar excitation over the main rf-field in the accumulation quadrupole results in disruption of the m/z discrimination and can potentially be used to achieve unbiased external ion accumulation with FTICR.     

印刷线路板分压离子阱的离子单向出射性能研究

印刷线路板(Printed-Circuit-Board,PCB)分压离子阱是一种新型质量分析器,其突出优点在于内部电场可通过调节射频分压比进行优化.本实验在PCB分压离子阱离子出射方向的两组离散电极上配置了非对称的射频分压,以引入奇次阶场成分,使得射频电场的场中心(即离子运动中心)发生偏移,从而实现离子单向出射.通过数值计算软件SIMION和AXSIM分析了射频分压比差值与其内部电场分布的关系,并模拟离子运动轨迹,得到离子出射情况和模拟质谱峰.模拟结果表明,当两组离散电极的射频分压比差值为20％时,在合适的AC频率条件下,对于m/z=609 Th的离子,PCB分压离子阱的离子单向出射率可达90％以上,且质量分辨率大于2500.本研究可使PCB分压离子阱在基本不损失质量分辨率和使用单检测器模式下,大幅提高离子检测效率,因而在小型化质谱仪应用中具有显著优势.     

Optimisation of ion trap parameters for the quantification of chlormequat by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and the application in the analysis of pear extracts

Optimisation of the activation parameters for ion trap mass spectrometric analysis of the chlormequat cation using simplex optimisation enabled the product ion (m/z 58) response to be improved 1000-fold. A comparison of the sensitivity of the optimised ion trap mass spectrometer with that of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) showed that similar limits of detection (LODs) could be achieved. For the MS/MS transition of the (35)Cl precursor to the most abundant product, LODs were 0.8 ng cation mL(-1) (0.004 mg cation kg(-1) pear equivalent) and 1.0 ng cation mL(-1) (0.005 mg cation kg(-1) pear equivalent) on the triple quadrupole and ion trap instrument, respectively.     

乙酰化蛋白的质谱鉴定研究

报道了两种生物质谱技术ESI-MS和MALDI-MS在鉴定乙酰化修饰蛋白BSA-ac中的应用研究结果. 乙酰化修饰蛋白通过特征碎裂峰m/z 126.1或MS/MS质谱图中相差一个赖氨酸的相邻b或y离子之间170 Da分子量的差异确证赖氨酸乙酰化修饰, 并且后者提供具体修饰位点信息. 研究提示ESI-MS和MALDI-MS两种质谱技术均可用于鉴定实际复杂样品中的乙酰化蛋白, 且在乙酰化蛋白的鉴定中各有其优点.     

Unimolecular dissociation of protonated trans-1,4-diphenyl-2-butene-1,4-dione in the gas phase: rearrangement versus simple cleavage

Fragmentation mechanisms of trans-1,4-diphenyl-2-butene-1,4-dione were studied using a variety of mass spectrometric techniques. The major fragmentation pathways occur by various rearrangements by loss of H(2)O, CO, H(2)O and CO, and CO(2). The other fragmentation pathways via simple alpha cleavages were also observed but accounted for the minor dissociation channels in both a two-dimensional (2-D) linear ion trap and a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer. The elimination of CO(2) (rather than CH(3)CHO or C(3)H(8)), which was confirmed by an exact mass measurement using the Q-TOF instrument, represented a major fragmentation pathway in the 2-D linear ion trap mass spectrometer. However, the elimination of H(2)O and CO becomes more competitive in the beam-type Q-TOF instrument. The loss of CO is observed in both the MS(2) experiment of m/z 237 and the MS(3) experiment of m/z 219 but via the different transition states. The data suggest that the olefinic double bond in protonated trans-1,4-diphenyl-2-butene-1,4-dione plays a key role in stabilizing the rearrangement transition states and increasing the bond dissociation (cleavage) energy to give favorable rearrangement fragmentation pathways.     

数字化矩形离子阱质谱仪的设计及性能

将数字化离子阱技术和矩形离子阱(RIT)技术相结合,建立了数字化矩形离子阱质谱仪.此技术和装置既具有数字化电源的结构简单、输出稳定和易精确控制等特点,又结合了矩形离子阱的高离子存储效率、结构简单以及加工和装配容易等优点.构建了基于电喷雾(ESI)电离源的数字化矩形离子阱质谱仪系统,并使用Fenfluramine和PPG2000分别对此系统的质量分辨率和质量范围进行了测试.研究结果表明:一个用印刷线路板(PCB)制作的简单矩形离子阱,在200 V(半峰值)的数字束缚电压的驱动下,获得了大于500的质量分辨率和超过2600 Th的质量范围.实验证明,数字化离子阱技术的应用可以显著提高矩形离子阱的性能,特别是质量范围等关键的质谱仪指标.     

Interpretation of electrospray/ion trap mass spectra of bile acids and other surfactants

Electrospray spectra of various bile acids and other surfactants were obtained using an ion trap instrument. Bile acids and bile acid derivatives such as 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) self associate to form micelles in a stepwise process. Their spectra show a distinct pattern of aggregation, with ions evenly separated in the m/z space. A new parameter, n/z, can be used to characterize such ions, where n is the number of molecules and z is the charge of the aggregate. The values of z were determined using multi-stage mass spectrometry (MS(n)) and high resolution in the ion trap.     

Simultaneous sampling and analysis for vapor mercury in ambient air using needle trap coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A needle trap (NT) technique for simultaneous sampling and analysis of vapor and particle mercury in ambient air using gold wire filled in a syringe needle has been developed. This NT technique relies on gold amalgamation rather than adsorption/absorption to traditional solid-phase microextraction. Hg trapped by Au-amalgamation NT is thermally desorbed in a hot injection port of a gas chromatograph; desorbed Hg is then determined by the coupled mass spectrometer. This simultaneous sampling and analysis technique were optimized, tested, and used for the collection and accurate determination of elemental Hg in ambient air. Linear calibration curves were obtained for Hg sampling by NT when mass spectrometry (MS) was used for detection; they spanned over 4 orders of magnitude. MS offered excellent sensitivity and selectivity. Selected ion monitor (SIM) mode was used for the linear calibration curves. The selected quantitation ion was m/z 202, since m/z 202 was the strongest isotope of mercury mass spectrum. The method was verified with HgCl(2) spiked solution samples. An excellent agreement was found between the results obtained for the Hg-saturated air samples and HgCl(2) spiked solution samples. The use of the Au-amalgamation gas-sampling needle trap method, for the measurement of Hg in air and Hg(2+) water samples, is described herein.     

Mass selective ejection by axial resonant excitation from a linear ion trap

We describe a new mass selective ejection method from a linear ion trap, which we call axial resonant excitation (AREX). A set of vane lenses are inserted between each quadrupole rod to produce electrostatic potential that is approximately harmonic along the central axis of the quadrupole field. After ions with specific m/z are resonantly oscillated in the axial direction, the ions are mass selectively ejected in the axial direction. At a high scan rate of 11 Th/ms, AREX achieved a high ejection efficiency of more than 60%, which is more than three times higher than a conventional mass selective axial ejection method from a linear trap using fringing field.     

Use of doubly protonated molecules in the analysis of cathedulins in crude extracts of khat (Catha edulis) by liquid chromatography/serial mass spectrometry

Analysis of crude methanolic extracts of fresh khat (Catha edulis) by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) revealed the presence of 62 cathedulin alkaloids (compared with 15 published structures). Many cathedulins generated doubly protonated molecules following electrospray ionisation and the ratio of doubly to singly protonated species could be manipulated by adjusting the electrospray capillary position and source conditions. By selecting the doubly protonated species for serial mass spectrometric analysis (MS/MS), it was possible to use an ion trap mass spectrometer to observe singly charged product ions at lower m/z values than ion trap MS/MS analysis of [M+H](+) would have allowed. These spectra were particularly valuable in elucidating the acylation patterns of cathedulins where MS/MS analysis of [M+H](+) resulted in loss of a large neutral species to yield a small singly charged fragment below the lower limit for ion trapping. Acylation patterns for most of the 62 cathedulins are proposed from mass spectrometric analysis, and the data obtained for a major unreported cathedulin of mass 1001 Da suggest that it belongs to a new group of cathedulins having a cathate dilactone bridge but not an evoninate bridge.     

Determination of Ion Frequencies in a Quadrupole Ion Trap By Using a Fast Direct Current Pulse as Pump and a Laser Probe

A new technique has been developed which allows the direct measurement of frequencies of ions trapped in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. This pump/probe method employs a fast direct current (DC) pulse (pump) to displace a kinetically cooled ion population from the center of the trap, and a laser (probe) which recognizes when ions reappear at the center of the trap by the formation of photodissociation fragments. The translationally excited ions undergo periodic motion within the confines of the ion trap, and this periodic motion can be followed by recording the intensity of the photodissociation fragment as a function of the delay time between the DC pump and the laser probe. The DC pulse has a rise time of 15 ns; data are taken 1 ms after its application to allow stable ion motion to be sampled. Sampling of the ion cloud is done at 50 ns intervals, and fast Fourier transformation of the time-based data yields the ion frequencies and their relative magnitudes. Data are reported for ions derived from acetophenone (m/z 105) and 1,4-cyclohexadiene (m/z 80) under various trapping conditions corresponding to different Mathieu q_z values. The measured fundamental secular frequencies, f_z and f_r, are found to agree well with those predicted. The presence of higher order multipole contributions to the trapping field is evident from such ion frequencies as the drive frequency, f_RF,. The ability to measure ion frequencies under operating conditions provides a new tool for comparing simulated and experimental data. Simulation data from the program ITSIM, modified to account for the effects of collisions, are shown to predict the major frequency components observed in the experimental data.     

Study of peptides containing modified lysine residues by tandem mass spectrometry: precursor ion scanning of hexanal-modified peptides

Upon hexanal-modification in the presence of NaCNBH(3), the oxidized B chain of insulin becomes mono- and further dialkylated on both the N-terminal and Lys(29) residues. A pseudo-MS(3) study was performed with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer on the different modified lysine-containing species to gain further insights into the characteristic fragmentation pattern. These fragmentations, in good agreement with true MS(3) measurements obtained using an ion trap mass spectrometer, highlighted characteristic monoalkylated lysine (immonium-NH(3)) and protonated modified caprolactam ions at m/z 168 and 213, respectively. In contrast, no fragment ion derived from a modified lysine residue (immonium or caprolactam) was observed when dialkylation occurs on Lys(29). However, a fragment ion corresponding to a protonated dihexylamine was observed at m/z 186. This loss, characteristic of dialkylated lysine fragmentation, was also observed upon dialkylation of N(alpha)-acetyllysine with either hexanal or pentanal. On the other hand, acetylation and malondialdehyde-modification of the N(alpha)-acetyllysine side chain led mainly to the corresponding modified (immonium-NH(3)) fragment ions at m/z 126 and 138, respectively. Finally, it was demonstrated that precursor ion scanning for both m/z 168 and 213 ions led to specific and sensitive identification of peptides containing hexanal-modified lysine residues within an unfractionated tryptic digest of hexanal-modified apomyoglobin. Thus, Lys(42), Lys(45), Lys(62), Lys(63), Lys(77), Lys(87), Lys(96), Lys(98), Lys(145) and Lys(147) were found to be modified upon reaction with hexanal.     

Ion trapping at atmospheric pressure (760 Torr) and room temperature with a high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer

A method for the confinement of ions at 760 Torr and room temperature is described. We have recently shown that a cylindrical-geometry high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS), which utilizes an ion separation technique based on the change in ion mobility at high electric fields, focuses ions in two dimensions. This article describes a FAIMS device in which the focusing is extended to three dimensions (i.e. ion trap). Characterization of the ion trap was carried out using a laboratory-constructed time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The half-life of a m/z 380 ion in the trap was determined to be 5 ms.     

新型三角形电极圆环离子阱的理论模拟研究

圆环离子阱由于其离子储存能力明显优于相同体积下的三维离子阱,近年来被认为是离子阱小型化发展的另一个重要方向。为进一步优化圆环形离子阱的质谱性能,特别是质量分辨能力,本研究提出了一种由三角形电极构建的新型圆环离子阱,它由两个完全等同的、截面为三角形的圆环电极及两个大小不等的圆筒型电极所组成,离子通过共振激发方式弹出。通过理论模拟和对电极结构的优化,获得了具有非对称性的三角形电极结构,通过改善圆环结构,优化电场分布,提高了离子引出效率和离子阱的质量分辨能力,其中一种最优化结构的圆环离子阱对m/z 609离子的质量分辨率达到1486。     

Development of a high-Performance MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer utilizing a spiral ion trajectory

A novel MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer that utilizes a spiral ion trajectory was developed. In this mass spectrometer, the ions sequentially passed through four toroidal electrostatic sectors and revolved along a figure-eight-shaped orbit on a particular projection plane. Each toroidal electrostatic sector had eight stories, and during multiple revolutions, the ion trajectory shifted perpendicular to the projection plane in every cycle, thereby generating a spiral trajectory. The flight path length of one cycle was 2.1 m; therefore, when the ions completed eight cycles, the total flight path length was 17 m. By adopting an ion optical system that had a flight path length five times longer than that in the commonly used reflectron ion optical system, the mass dependence on the mass resolving power was reduced, while improving the mass accuracy of the mass measurements. The basic performance of the system was tested by using standard peptides or the tryptic digest of bovine serum albumin. A mass resolving power of 80,000 (full width at half maximum) was achieved at m/z = 2564 (ACTH18-39). An improved mass accuracy less than 2 ppm was realized over a wide m/z range of 500 to 3000 by correction using one or two internal standard substances.     

"Dueling" ESI: instrumentation to study ion/ion reactions of electrospray-generated cations and anions

Novel instrumentation has been developed which allows for the sequential injection and subsequent reaction of oppositely-charged ions generated via electrospray ionization (ESI) in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. The instrument uses a DC turning quadrupole to sequentially direct the two ion polarities into the ion trap from ESI sources which are situated 90 degrees from the axial (z) dimension of the trap, and 180 degrees from one another. This arrangement significantly expands the range of ionic reactants amenable to study over previously-used instrumentation. For example, ion/ion reactions of multiply-charged positive ions with multiply-charged negative ions can be studied. Also, reactions of multiply-charged ions with singly-charged ions of opposite polarity that could not be generated by previously used ionization methods, or that could not be efficiently injected through the ion trap ring electrode, can be studied with the new instrument. This capability allows, for example, the charge state manipulation of negatively-charged precursor and product ions derived from proteins and oligonucleotides via proton transfer reactions with singly-charged cations generated by ESI.