Electrospray ionization of copper—glycine solutions

We have characterized the electrospray ionization (ESI) spectra of mixtures of the 3d transition metal ion Cu²⁺ with both a model amino acid (glycine) and a simple peptide system (glycylglycine). We found what appear to be two major classes of ions. We suggest that these apparent classes may offer some further insight into the nature of the ion formation process in ESI. Specifically, we argue that one group of ions is a consequence of gas-phase reactions of the intramolecular charge transfer type. We also argue that the second group of ions has a close association with species that have been identified in the bulk phase, and which therefore may arise in ESI by a direct desorption process.     

L‐Valine assisted distinction between the stereo‐isomers of D‐hexoses by positive ion ESI tandem mass spectrometry

The binary mixtures of 7 hexoses and 20 amino acids were investigated by electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI‐ITMS). The adduct ions of the amino acid and the hexose were detected for 12 amino acids but not for the other 8 amino acids which are basic acidic amino acids and amides. The ions of amino acid–hexose complexes were further investigated by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and some of them just split easily into two parts whereas the others gave rich fragmentation, such as the complex ions of isoleucine, phenylalanie, tyrosine, and valine. We found that hexoses could be complexed by two molecules of valine but only by one molecule of the other amino acids. Among seven kinds of valine–hexose complexes coordinated by potassium ion, the MS² spectra of the ion at m/z 453 yielded unambiguous differentiation. And the fragmentation ions are sensitive to the stereochemical differences at the carbon‐4 of hexoses in the complexes, as proved by the MS². Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fragmentation pathways of 2,3‐dimethyl‐2,3‐dinitrobutane cations in the gas phase

2,3‐Dimethyl‐2,3‐dinitrobutane (DMNB) is an explosive taggant added to plastic explosives during manufacture making them more susceptible to vapour‐phase detection systems. In this study, the formation and detection of gas‐phase [M+H]⁺, [M+Li]⁺, [M+NH₄]⁺ and [M+Na]⁺ adducts of DMNB was achieved using electrospray ionisation on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The [M+H]⁺ ion abundance was found to have a strong dependence on ion source temperature, decreasing markedly at source temperatures above 50°C. In contrast, the [M+Na]⁺ ion demonstrated increasing ion abundance at source temperatures up to 105°C. The relative susceptibility of DMNB adduct ions toward dissociation was investigated by collision‐induced dissociation. Probable structures of product ions and mechanisms for unimolecular dissociation have been inferred based on fragmentation patterns from tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra of source‐formed ions of normal and isotopically labelled DMNB, and quantum chemical calculations. Both thermal and collisional activation studies suggest that the [M+Na]⁺ adduct ions are significantly more stable toward dissociation than their protonated analogues and, as a consequence, the former provide attractive targets for detection by contemporary rapid screening methods such as desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. Copyright © 2009 Commonwealth of Australia. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of ion structures in structurally related compounds using precursor ion fingerprinting

Structurally-related alkaloids were analyzed by electrospray ionization/multiple stage mass spectrometry (ESI/MS ⁿ ) at varying collision energies to demonstrate a conceptual algorithm, precursor ion fingerprinting (PIF). PIF is a new approach for interpreting and library-searching ESI mass spectra predicated on the precursor ions of structurally-related compounds and their matching product ion spectra. Multiple-stage mass spectra were compiled and constructed into “spectral trees” that illustrated the compounds’ product ion spectra in their respective mass spectral stages. The precursor ions of these alkaloids were characterized and their spectral trees incorporated into an MS ⁿ library. These data will be used to construct a universal, searchable, and transferable library of MS ⁿ spectra. In addition, PIF will generate a proposed structural arrangement utilizing previously characterized ion structures, which will assist in the identification of unknown compounds.     

Structural characterization of pregnane glycosides from Cynanchum auriculatum by liquid chromatography on a hybrid ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer

A method coupling high‐performance liquid chromatography with hybrid ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) using an electrospray ionization source was firstly used to characterize ten major pregnane glycosides including one novel compound auriculoside IV from the roots of Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight. In the MS/MS spectra, fragmentation reactions of the [M+Na]⁺ were recorded to provide abundant structural information on the aglycone and glycosyl moieties. Experiments using TOFMS allowed us to obtain precise elemental compositions of molecular ions and subsequent product ions with errors less than 6 ppm. The pregnane glycosides in C. auriculatum were classified into two major core groups: one is caudatin characterized by the neutral loss of one ikemamic acid molecule (128 Da) from the precursor ion, and the other is kidjoranin characterized by the neutral loss of cinnamic acid (148 Da) from the precursor ion. Meanwhile, a series of sugar‐chain fragment ions provided valuable information about the compositions of the sugar residues and the sequences of the sugar chain. Logical fragmentation pathways for pregnane glycosides have been proposed and are useful for the identification of these compounds in natural products especially when there are no reference compounds available. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrolytic deposition of metals on to the high-voltage contact in an electrospray emitter: implications for gas-phase ion formation

The electrospray ion source is an electrolytic flow cell. Electrolytic reactions in the electrospray emitter maintain the production of charged droplets by this ion source that contain an excess of ions of one polarity. These redox reactions necessarily change the composition of the solution that initially enters the emitter. As a result, the ions ultimately observed in the gas phase by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS) may be substantially influenced by both the nature and extent of these electrochemical reactions. It is demonstrated in this paper that Ag(+), Cu(2+) and Hg(2+) ions in solution can be electrolytically reduced and deposited as the respective metals on to the surface of the high-voltage contact in the electrospray emitter in negative ion mode electrospray. The deposited metals are shown to be liberated from the surface by switching the electrospray high-voltage polarity to operate in the positive ion mode. The deposited metals are oxidized in positive ion mode, releasing the metal ions back into solution where they are detected in the electrospray mass spectrum. In a semi-quantitative analysis, it was found that up to 50% of the Ag(+) in a 2.5 microM solution was deposited on the high-voltage contact of the emitter as the solution flowed through the emitter. Deposition of Cu(2+) and Hg(2+) was less efficient. These data illustrate that in the analysis of metals by ESMS, one must be aware that both the concentration and form of the metals may be altered by electrochemical processes in the emitter. Hence reduction or oxidation of metals in the electrospray emitter, which may remove ions from solution, or change metal valence, would be expected to impact both quantitative metal determinations and metal speciation attempts using ESMS.     

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with collision-induced dissociation of conjugated metabolites of benzol[a]pyrene

Benzo[a]pyrene (BP) metabolites conjugated with glutathione, cysteine-glycine, cysteine, N-acetylcysteine, and sulfuric and glucuronic acids have been studied by microcolumn liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry with collision-induced dissociation (CID) on a hybrid double focusing magnetic sector-orthogonal time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer equipped with a focal plane array detector. Negative-ion electrospray mass spectra of the conjugated BP metabolites showed strong [M – H]^? ions. When the array detector was used, spectra were obtained from femtomoles of sample infused at mass resolutions of 5000 (full width at half maximum). Cone voltage fragmentation spectra show [M-H]^? ions and fragment ions indicative of the BP moiety and/or the conjugating group. Linked scan CID spectra at constant B/E were found to contain structurally informative product ions from infusion of as little as 1 pmol of sample. CID spectra were also recorded by using the double focusing sectors for precursor ion selection and the orthogonal time-of-flight analyzer for product ion mass separation. The method was applied to the analysis of conjugated BP metabolites in the urine of germ-free rats given a single intraperitoneal dose of BP.     

A high performance low magnetic field internal electrospray ionization-fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

A new in-magnetic field electrospray ionization (ESI) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer has been constructed and evaluated. This system is characterized by the use of multiple concentric cryopanels to achieve ultrahigh vacuum in the ion cyclotron resonance cell region, a probe-mounted internal ESI source, and a novel in-field shutter. Initial experiments demonstrate high resolution mass measurement capability at a field strength of 1 T. Mass resolution of 700,000 has been obtained for the 3+ charge state of Met-Lys-bradykinin (at m/z 440) generated by electrospray ionization. When electron impact ionization was employed, resolution in excess of 9,200,000 was achieved for nitrogen molecular ions (N ₂ ⁺ ). Isotopic resolution for molecular ions of bovine ubiquitin (MW=8565 µ) also was achieved by using small ion populations.     

Primary to quaternary protein structure determination with electrospray ionization and magnetic sector mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization with a forward-geometry magnetic sector mass spectrometer was used for collisionally activated dissociation studies of multiply charged polypeptides and for studying non-covalently bound protein systems. The high-resolution capabilities of a high-performance instrument allow the resolution of isotopic contributions for product ions and molecular ion species. Determination of product ion charge states by this method reduces difficulties in the interpretation of product ion mass spectra from multiply charged precursors, which are generated either in the atmospheric pressure/vacuum electrospray interface or in the collision chamber of the mass spectrometer. Extended tandem mass spectrometric experiments have the potential for sequencing larger polypeptides. However, evidence for isomerization of gas-phase product ions from substance P and substance P analogues was observed, complicating the interpretation of product ion spectra. Non-covalent complexes can also be studied by electrospray ionization magnetic sector MS. The higher m/z range of such an instrument is a major advantage for studying weakly bound systems, such as heme–protein systems (myoglobin, hemoglobin) and protein aggregates (concanavalin A), because of their tendency to form complex ions with relatively low charge states.     

Effects of ion/ion proton transfer reactions on conformation of gas-phase cytochrome <Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis> ions

Positive ions from cytochrome c are studied in a 3-D ion trap/ion mobility (IM)/quadrupole-time-of-flight (TOF) instrument with three independent ion sources. The IM separation allows measurement of the cross section of the ions. Ion/ion reactions in the 3-D ion trap that remove protons cause the cytochrome c ions to refold gently without other degradation of protein structure, i.e., fragmentation or loss of heme group or metal ion. The conformation(s) of the product ions generated by ion/ion reactions in a given charge state are similar regardless of whether the cytochrome c ions are originally in +8 or +9 charge states. In the lower charge states (+1 to +5) cytochrome c ions made by the ion/ion reaction yield a single IM peak with cross section of ～1110 to 1180 Ų, even if the original +8 ion started with multiple conformations. The conformation expands slightly when the charge state is reduced from +5 to +1. For product ions in the +6 to +8 charge states, ions created from higher charge states (+9 to +16) by ion/ion reaction produce more compact conformation(s) in somewhat higher abundances compared with those produced directly by the electrospray ionization (ESI) source. For ions in intermediate charge states that have a variety of resolvable conformers, the voltage used to inject the ions into the drift tube, and the voltage and duration of the pulse that extracts ions from the ion trap, can affect the observed abundances of various conformers.     

Electrospray ionization—Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry at 11.5 tesla: Instrument design and initial results

Initial results obtained using a new electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer operated at a magnetic field 11.5 tesla are presented. The new instrument utilized an electrostatic ion guide between the ESI source and FTICR trap that provided up to 5% overall transmission efficiency for light ions and up to 30% efficiency for heavier biomolecules. The higher magnetic field in combination with an enlarged FTICR ion trap made it possible to substantially improve resolving power and operate in a more robust fashion for large biopolymers compared to lower field instruments. Mass resolution up to 10⁶ has been achieved for intermediate size biopolymers such as bovine ubiquitin (8.6 kDa) and bovine cytochrome c (12.4 kDa) without the use of frequency drift correction methods. A mass resolution of 370,000 has been demonstrated for isotopically resolved molecular ions of bovine serum albumin (66.5 kDa). Comparative measurements were made with the same spectrometer using a lower field 3.5-tesla magnet allowing the performance gains to be more readily quantified. Further improvements in pumping capacity of the vacuum system and efficiency of ion transmission from the source are expected to lead to further substantial sensitivity gains.     

Clarification of a peak at m/z 1634 from tryptically digested cytochrome c

A peptide peak at m/z 1634 in the mass spectrum of tryptically digested cytochrome c has been ambiguously assigned to either a peptide IFVQKCAQCHTVEK or a peptide CAQCHTVEK combined with a heme group (CAQCHTVEK + heme (Fe(III))). A comprehensive investigation was performed to clearly identify the origin of the peak. Tryptic digests of cytochrome c were analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS), liquid chromatography‐tandem MS (LC‐MS/MS), LC‐ultraviolet (LC‐UV), and MALDI Fourier transform‐ion cyclotron resonance (FT‐ICR) MS. The use of instruments with extremely high mass accuracy revealed the mass difference between the IFVQKCAQCHTVEK and the (CAQCHTVEK + heme (Fe(III))) ions. Fragmentation of the peptide associated with the unknown peak yielded a heme ion and other fragment ions originating from a (CAQCHTVEK + heme (Fe(III))) ion. Furthermore, an absorption peak at 395 nm confirmed the presence of a heme group in the unknown peptide. High mass accuracy analyses of MS and MS/MS spectra, in addition to three‐dimensional UV contour mapping, showed that the peak at m/z 1634 is due to a (CAQCHTVEK + heme (Fe(III))) ion and not from protonated IFVQKCAQCHTVEK. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reactions of poly(ethylene glycol) cations with iodide and perfluorocarbon anions

Multiply charged poly(ethylene glycol) ions of the form (M+nNa) ⁿ⁺ derived from electrospray ionization have been subjected to reactions with negative ions in the quadrupole ion trap. Mixtures of multiply charged positive ions ranging in average mass from about 2000 to about 14,000 Da were observed to react with perfluorocarbon anions by either proton transfer or fluoride transfer. Iodide anions reacted with the same positive ions by attachment. In no case was fragmentation of the polymer ion observed. In all cases, the multiply charged positive ion charge states could be readily reduced to +1, thereby eliminating the charge state overlap observed in the normal electrospray mass spectrum. With all three reaction mechanisms, however, the +1 product ions were comprised of mixtures of products with varying numbers of sodium ions, and in the case of iodide attachment and fluoride transfer, varying numbers of halogen anions. These reactions shift the mass distributions to higher masses and broaden the distributions. The extents to which these effects occur are functions of the magnitudes of the initial charges and the width of the initial charge state distributions. Care must be taken in deriving information about the polymer molecular weight distribution from the singly charged product ions arising from these ion/ion reactions. The cluster ions containing iodide were shown to be intermediates in sodium ion transfer. Dissociation of the adduct ions can therefore lead to a +1 product ion population that is comprised predominantly of M+Na⁺ ions. However, a strategy based on the dissociation of the iodide cluster ions is limited by difficulties in dissociating high mass-to-charge ions in the quadrupole ion trap.     

Trapping and detection of ions generated in a high magnetic field electrospray ionization fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

The trapping and detection parameters employed with a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer that is interfaced to a high magnetic field electrospray ionization (ES11 source are presented. ES1 occurs at atmospheric pressure in a 1.5-T field, and FTICR detection occurs 25 cm away at 3.0 T in either one of two cells separated by a conductance limit and maintained at pressure differentials of 5 × 10⁵ and 2 × 10⁷ torr, respectively. The continuous electrospray ion current traversing the high- and low-pressure cells is 350 and 100 pA, respectively. Retarding grid studies at the high-pressure cell indicate electrospray ion kinetic energies are controllable from less than an electronvolt to more than 10 eV. These kinetic energies are a function of desolvating capillary-skimmer assembly distance and the skimmer potential. Efficient accumulation of injected ions is accomplished only when the trap-plate potential matches the ion kinetic energy. If this condition is satisfied, the trapped ion cell fills to the ion space charge limit within a few hundred milliseconds. It is concluded that even at the high pressures used, the primary trapping mechanism cannot be solely collision dependent because the rate of ion accumulation is independent of background pressure. However, optimized FTICR excitation conditions for peptides and proteins in the mass range from 10³ to more than 10⁶ kDa are found to vary strongly with pressure; this is attributed to large mass- and charge-dependent differences in ion-molecule collision frequency.     

Calibrant delivery for mass spectrometry

This article describes a means of sampling ions that are created at a location remote from the primary ion source used for mass spectral analysis. Such a source can be used for delivery of calibrant ions on demand. Calibrant ions are sprayed into an atmospheric pressure chamber, at a position substantially removed from the sampling inlet. A gas flow sweeps the calibrants towards the sampling inlet, and a new means for toggling the second ion beam into the instrument can be achieved with the use of a repelling field established by an electrode in front of the sampling inlet. The physical separation of two or more sources of ions eliminates detrimental interactions due to gas flows or fields. When using a nanoflow electrospray tip as the primary ion source, the potential applied to the tip completely repels calibrant ions and there is no compromise in terms of electrospray performance. When calibrant ions are desired, the potential applied to the nanoflow electrospray tip is lowered for a short period of time to allow calibrant ions to be sampled into the instrument, thus providing a means for external calibration that avoids the typical complications and compromises associated with dual spray sources. It is also possible to simultaneously sample ions from multiple ion beams if necessary for internal mass calibration purposes. This method of transporting additional ion beams to a sampling inlet can also be used with different types of atmospheric pressure sources such as AP MALDI, as well as sources configured to deliver ions of different polarity.     

A Combined Desorption Ionization by Charge Exchange (DICE) and Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) Source for Mass Spectrometry

A source that couples the desorption ionization by charge exchange (DICE) and desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) techniques together was demonstrated to broaden the range of compounds that can be analyzed in a single mass spectrometric experiment under ambient conditions. A tee union was used to mix the spray reagents into a partially immiscible blend before this mixture was passed through a conventional electrospray (ES) probe capillary. Using this technique, compounds that are ionized more efficiently by the DICE method and those that are ionized better with the DESI procedure could be analyzed simultaneously. For example, hydroquinone, which is not detected when subjected to DESI-MS in the positive-ion generation mode, or the sodium adduct of guaifenesin, which is not detected when examined by DICE-MS, could both be detected in one experiment when the two techniques were combined. The combined technique was able to generate the molecular ion, proton and metal adduct from the same compound. When coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer, the combined source enabled the generation of product ion spectra from the molecular ion and the [M + H]⁺ or [M + metal]⁺ ions of the same compound without the need to physically change the source from DICE to DESI. The ability to record CID spectra of both the molecular ion and adduct ions in a single mass spectrometric experiment adds a new dimension to the array of mass spectrometric methods available for structural studies.     

Second hydrogen atom abstraction by molecular ions

We report the observation of a new physical phenomenon of the addition of 2 hydrogen atoms to molecular ions thus forming [M + 2H]⁺ ions. We demonstrate such second hydrogen atom abstraction onto the molecular ions of pentaerythritol and trinitrotoluene (TNT). We used both gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) with supersonic molecular beam (SMB) with methanol added into its make‐up gas and electron ionization (EI) liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) with SMB with methanol as the LC solvent. We found that the formation of methanol clusters resulted upon EI in the formation of dominant protonated pentaerythritol ion at m/z = 137 plus about 70% relative abundance of pentaerythritol molecular ion with 2 additional hydrogen atoms at m/z = 138 which is well above the 5.7% natural C¹³ isotope abundance of protonated pentaerythritol. Similarly, we found an abundant protonated TNT ion at m/z = 228 and a similar abundance of TNT molecular ion with 2 additional hydrogen atoms at m/z = 229. Upon the use of deuterated methanol (CD₃OD) as the solvent, we observed an abundant m/z = 231 (M + 2D)⁺ of TNT with 2 deuterium atoms. We found such abundant second hydrogen atom abstraction with butylglycolate and at low abundances in dioctylphthalate, Vitamin K3, phenazine, and RDX. At this time, we are unable to report the magnitude and frequency of occurrence of this phenomenon in standard electrospray LC‐MS. This observation could have important implications on the provision of elemental formula from mass spectra that are involved with protonated molecules. Accordingly, while accurate mass measurements can serve for the generation of elemental formula, their further support and improvement via isotope abundance analysis are questionable. Consequently, if a given compound can be analyzed by both GC‐MS and LC‐MS, its GC‐MS analysis can be superior for the provision of accurate elemental formulae if its EI mass spectrum exhibits abundant molecular ions such as with GC‐MS with SMB (also known as cold EI).     

Is droplet evaporation crucial in the mechanism of electrospray mass spectrometry?

Evaporation of solvent from charged droplets was found not to be a prerequisite to ion desorption in electrospray mass spectrometry. Evidence of evaporation was absent in an examination of the electrospray mass spectral profiles of cytochrome c and myoglobin in 0.2% acetic and propionic acid solutions; the pHs of these two acid solutions are expected to change in opposite directions with evaporation. The results strongly suggest that ions, as observed in electrospray mass spectrometry, are desorbed from solutions that have undergone minimal evaporation, in other words, at the beginning rather than later parts of the electrospray process. It is speculated that ions are desorbed directly from the solution-air interface at the needle tip.     

The role of central ion in chiral recognition by taking phenylalanine as an example

Chiral recognition of phenylalanine (Phe) was achieved in the gas phase by electrospray ionization Q-TOF tandem mass spectrometry. In this method, two central ions, i.e. proton and divalent copper, were used and chiral crown ether, (+)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid-18-crown-6 (18-C-6-TCA), was used as a chiral host. Dimeric complexes were readily formed by electrospray ionization of a methanol/water (50/50, V/V) solution containing central ions, Phe and 18-C-6-TCA. The dimeric complex included proton-bound (18-C-6-TCA)(Phe)H+ and copper-bound deprotonated [Cu²⁺(18-C-6-TCA)(Phe)-H]⁺ ions were mass selected and then collided with Ar in the CID experiments. The chiral recognition capability of these complexes was evaluated using the relative abundance of daughter ion to parent ion. A higher degree of chiral recognition ability was observed with Cu²⁺ compared to that of H⁺. Different central ions exhibited distinctive dissociation pathways and unique chiral recognition characteristics. The chiral recognition mechanism was also discussed in detail with the help of the structure of copper-bound complex predicted by theoretical calculation.     

Unequivocal determination of metal atom oxidation state in naked heme proteins: Fe(III)myoglobin, Fe(III)cytochrome c, Fe(III)cytochrome b5, and Fe(III)cytochrome b5 L47R

Unambiguous determination of metal atom oxidation state in an intact metalloprotein is achieved by matching experimental (electrospray ionization 9.4 tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance) and theoretical isotopic abundance mass distributions for one or more holoprotein charge states. The ion atom oxidation state is determined unequivocally as Fe(III) for each of four gas-phase unhydrated heme proteins electrosprayed from H2O: myoglobin, cytochrome c, cytochrome b5, and cytochrome b5 L47R (i.e., the solution-phase oxidation state is conserved following electrospray to produce gas-phase ions). However, the same Fe(III) oxidation state in all four heme proteins is observed after prior reduction by sodium dithionite to produce Fe(II) heme proteins in solution: thus proving that oxygen was present during the electrospray process. Those results bear directly on the issue of similarity (or lack thereof) of solution-phase and gas-phase protein conformations. Finally, infrared multiphoton irradiation of the gas-phase Fe(III)holoproteins releases Fe(III)heme from each of the noncovalently bound Fe(III)heme proteins (myoglobin, cytochrome b5 and cytochrome b5 L47R), but yields Fe(II)heme from the covalently bound heme in cytochrome c.