Mass Spectrometry,Review of the Basics: Electrospray,MALDI, and Commonly Used Mass Analyzers

Abstract

Mass spectrometry (MS) has progressed to become a powerful analytical tool for both quantitative and qualitative applications. The first mass spectrometer was constructed in 1912 and since then it has developed from only analyzing small inorganic molecules to biological macromolecules, practically with no mass limitations. Proteomics research, in particular, increasingly depends on MS technologies. The ability of mass spectrometry analyzing proteins and other biological extracts is due to the advances gained through the development of soft ionization techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) that can transform biomolecules into ions. ESI can efficiently be interfaced with separation techniques enhancing its role in the life and health sciences. MALDI, however, has the advantage of producing singly charges ions of peptides and proteins, minimizing spectral complexity. Regardless of the ionization source, the sensitivity of a mass spectrometer is related to the mass analyzer where ion separation occurs. Both quadrupole and time of flight (ToF) mass analyzers are commonly used and they can be configured together as QToF tandem mass spectrometric instruments. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), as the name indicates, is the result of performing two or more sequential separations of ions usually coupling two or more mass analyzers. Coupling a quadrupole and time of flight resulted in the production of high-resolution mass spectrometers (i.e., Q-ToF). This article will historically introduce mass spectrometry and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of ESI and MALDI along with quadrupole and ToF mass analyzers, including the technical marriage between the two analyzers. This article is educational in nature and intended for graduate students and senior biochemistry students as well as chemists and biochemists who are not familiar with mass spectrometry and would like to learn the basics; it is not intended for mass spectrometry experts.     

用激光解吸附电离飞行时间质谱法检测悬浮土壤颗粒物

在自行研制的气溶胶飞行时间激光质谱仪(ATOFLMS)上实时探测单个悬浮土壤颗粒的粒径和化学成分。利用双束连续激光对单个粒子的空气动力学粒径进行测量,并用266 nm的Nd∶YAG激光器对气溶胶单粒子进行解吸附电离作用,产物离子通过飞行时间质谱仪的无场漂移区后完成单粒子化学成分的检测。本实验中使用了4个不同地区的土壤样本,在实验室内对分析的样本进行预处理和再悬浮,通过导管引入ATOFLMS进行测量,得到大量单粒子的粒径和质谱数据。发现在众多的单粒子的阳离子质谱中,金属成分以地壳元素(Fe, K, Al, Ca)为主,在其他阳离子质谱中包含了Mg和Na等。对悬浮土壤粒子的粒径进行实时检测的结果表明这些粒子多以粗粒子为主, 粒径主要集中在1～2 μm。实验结果表明该仪器在大气气溶胶环境监测及相关研究领域具有重要的实用价值。     

锌掺杂产导体材料的共振电离质谱分析

本文简要地描述了激光共振电离质谱的实验装置的测量方法,给出了用共振电离质谱方法对锌掺杂化合物半导体材料进行分析的光谱和质谱图,并估计了用这种方法进行奶量分析可能达到的检测限     

Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS) with Pulsed and CW-Lasers on Plutonium

The detection of long-lived plutonium isotopes in ultra-trace amounts by resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) is a well-established routine method. Detection limits of 10⁶ to 10⁷ atoms and precise measurements of the isotopic composition have been achieved. In this work multi-step resonance ionization of plutonium atoms has been performed with tunable lasers having very different output intensities and spectral properties. In order to compare different ways for the resonance ionization of plutonium broadband pulsed dye and titanium:sapphire lasers as well as narrow-band cw-diode and titanium:sapphire lasers have been applied for a number of efficient excitation schemes. It has been shown, that for identical excitation schemes the optical isotope selectivity can be improved by using cw-lasers (bandwidths < 10 MHz) instead of pulsed lasers (bandwidths > 2 GHz). Pulsed and cw-laser systems have been used simultaneously for resonance ionization enabling direct comparisons of pulsed and continuous ionization processes. So far, a three-step, three-color laser excitation scheme has been proven to be most practical in terms of efficiency, selectivity and laser wavelengths. Alternatively a newly discovered three-step, two-color excitation scheme which includes a strong two-photon transition from an excited state into a high-lying autoionizing state yields similar ionization efficiencies. This two-photon transition was characterized with respect to saturation behavior and line width.     

乙胺分子的多光子电离过程质谱研究

报道了乙胺分子在４４０～４７５ｎｍ波长范围内多光子电离（ＭＰＩ）质谱（ＭＳ）研究结果。碎片离子主要由母体离子碎裂模式产生。母体离子ＣＨ３ＣＨ２Ｎ＋·Ｈ２由经３ｓ里德堡态的（２＋２）共振多光子电离产生后，大部分发生β键断裂，形成ＣＨ２＝Ｎ＋Ｈ２离子，还有一部分再吸收一个光子，通过Ｃ－Ｈ（ＣＨ２）键的断裂产生了ＣＨ３ＣＨ＝Ｎ＋Ｈ２离子。ＣＨ３ＣＨ＝Ｎ＋Ｈ２和ＣＨ２＝Ｎ＋Ｈ２离子最容易发生的碎裂过程是脱去氢分子，分别产生Ｃ２Ｈ４Ｎ＋（分子式）离子和ＣＨ≡Ｎ＋Ｈ离子。     

Laser Ionization and Penning Trap Mass Spectrometry – A Fruitful Combination for Isomer Separation and High-precision Mass Measurements

We have demonstrated for the first time that element-selective laser ionization in combination with ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry can be used to prepare isomerically pure ion ensembles. Together with β–γ coincidence studies this method allowed a determination of the low-energy structure and the unambiguous identification of triple β-decaying isomerism in ⁷⁰Cu. By selective resonant ionization and measurement of the masses of these three states using ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN with a relative uncertainty of δm/m ≈ 5 ⋅ 10⁻⁸ a clear state-to-mass assignment was possible which resolved the assignment puzzle in ⁷⁰Cu.     

355nm下乙胺的多光子电离质谱研究

利用多光子电离与飞行时间质谱相结合的方法,分析了乙胺分子在355nm激光作用下的电离信号随激光强度的变化。在355nm激光作用下,随着激光强度的增加,母体离子和大质量离子的信号逐渐减弱,小质量的离子信号逐渐增强,分析了乙胺分子在355nm激光作用下的解离过程。     

Thermal Ionization and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: Potential for Application to Studies on the Biokinetics of Molybdenum in Humans

Abstract

The use of stable isotopes as tracers in biokinetic investigations provides a means to obtain important metabolic data directly in humans without exposing the subjects to undue risks. In this work, three types of mass spectrometers are compared with regard to the determination of the abundances of stable isotopes of molybdenum in natural and enriched aqueous samples. The data show a good response of thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and of high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to the isotopic enrichment of the samples, whereas conventional quadrupole ICPMS shows an unsatisfactory reproducibility of the results. Moreover, only TIMS can achieve an accuracy of better than 1% for the obtained isotopic ratios. Although a tedious procedure for the preparation of the biological samples is required and less sensitivity is achieved as compared to ICPMS, TIMS still seems to be method of choice for the accurate assessment of isotope ratios as required in multitracer studies on human biokinetics of trace metals.     

原子光谱/元素质谱在生命分析中的应用进展

原子光谱/元素质谱是元素分析的强有力手段,其在生命分析领域的应用也越来越广泛。在单细胞元素分析方面,相关研究工作主要关注元素在单细胞中的分布和形态变化;在元素标记策略分析领域,利用原子光谱（atomic spectrometry, AS）和电感耦合等离子体质谱（inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP-MS）实现对小分子、核酸、蛋白质等目标分析物的高灵敏检测是研究热点;在金属药物分析领域,ICP-MS为研究金属药物在生物体中的摄入、分布、代谢和排泄等过程提供了便利,也为进一步阐明药物作用机理以及金属药物的设计和改进提供了数据支持;在生物元素成像领域,ICP-MS与激光剥蚀技术（laser ablation, LA）联用,可以对生物样品进行原位分析和微区分析,结合有机质谱实现元素相关生物过程的分子机制研究;与相关分离方法联用,原子光谱和元素质谱还可以对生物组织中元素进行形态分析,研究其在相关过程中的生物转化过程。本文从单细胞元素分析、元素标签标记策略、金属药物转运与代谢以及生物组织中元素分布分析等方面,评述了原子光谱和ICP-MS在生命分析中的应用实例,并对该领域的发展前景进行了展望。     

Optimizing the Conditions of the Experiment in Atomic Ionization Spectrometry with Laser-Induced Evaporation of Material into a Flame

Two ionization signals — selective and nonselective — are recorded on laser-induced evaporation of solid samples into a flame with subsequent exposure to resonance radiation. The magnitudes of the signals depend on many experimental parameters: the composition of the sample, the composition of the environment and gas mixture, etc. The dependences of the nonselective and selective signals on such experimental parameters as the voltage on the cathode and the energy of the vaporizing radiation have been studied. The optimum energy of the vaporizing radiation was 44–48 mJ at the cathode voltage 500–800 V. This has allowed the coefficient of correlation of the calibration graph to be raised up to 0.99. In these conditions, the limit of detection of Li was 0.017%.     

基于模糊聚类算法的大气粒子激光电离质谱数据分析

实验室自行研制了一台大气气溶胶飞行时间激光质谱仪(ATOFLMS),它可以在线地对气溶胶单粒子进行物理和化学特性分析,利用双束连续激光对单个粒子的空气动力学粒径进行测量,并通过飞行时间完成单粒子化学成分的检测。该仪器在运行过程中将产生海量的实验数据,对这些数据的快速、自动处理并提取有价值的信息是整机系统的关键之一。文章介绍模糊聚类算法FCM(fuzzy c-means)在大气气溶胶单粒子聚类分析中的成功运用。利用该算法对连续24 h采集的室内空气气溶胶单粒子质谱数据进行了聚类分析,在得到的5个聚类结果中包含了无机的海盐粒子、矿物质粒子以及其他的三种二次气溶胶成分粒子类型。在对室内空气气溶胶粒子的粒径进行实时检测的结果表明室内可吸入颗粒物以细粒子为主,其中大于1 μm的粒子所占比重较小。小于1 μm的粒子均占95％以上, 在0.4～0.8 μm之间的粒子占据主要部分。     

Chemical Vapor Generation with Slurry Sampling: A Review of Applications to Atomic and Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A critical review of published analytical methods and techniques for chemical vapor generation (CVG) with slurry sample introduction for detection by atomic and mass spectrometry is presented. The nstrumentation used for the reaction as well as separation and transport of the species, influence of chemical and physical factors, and efficiency of the process are considered. A brief comparison of detection limits obtained with atomic absorption, emission, and fluorescence as well as mass spectrometry along with practical applications to analytical samples are summarized. The current state-of-the-art, including advantages and limitations of this approach, is discussed.     

Ion Energy Effects in Photographic Detection in Organic Mass Spectrometry

The relative response of emulsion (Ilford Q2) and evaporated AgBr (Ionomet) plates to a polyatomic (C₉H₂₀ ⁺) and a monoatomic (¹²⁹Xe⁺) ion has been studied as a function of ion energy. Data from the former are readily interpreted qualitatively and semi-quantitatively. Previously reported fragmentation numbers of impacting ions are corrected. Evidence is suggested to relate fragmentation number to a thermodynamic quantity.     

多元校正结合质谱数据进行四种有机物快速含量分析研究

质谱法和化学计量学方法相结合对混合物中苯甲醛,异辛烷,乙酸丁酯,苯乙酮四种物质进行定量分析。将混合物的质量色谱图数据分别用特征选择-多元线性回归（MLR）和全谱-偏最小二乘法（PLS）这两种方法对四种物质进行定量分析。苯甲醛特征选择和全谱建模的RMSEP分别为0.062和0.091; 异辛烷特征选择和全谱建模的RMSEP分别为0.048和0.057; 乙酸丁酯特征选择和全谱建模的RMSEP分别为0.021和0.020; 苯乙酮特征选择和全谱建模的RMSEP分别为0.010和0.032。结果表明苯甲醛,异辛烷,苯乙酮特征选择的结果均优于全谱建模的结果,乙酸丁酯特征选择的结果和全谱建模的结果相近。     

近场光学用于激光解吸飞行时间质谱的亚微米级空间分辨成像

基于激光离子源的飞行时间质谱法作为一门新兴的成像方法,已经被广泛应用于材料、地质、环境、药物和生命科学领域中。但受限于光学衍射极限、聚焦透镜的焦距和数值孔径等因素,使其难以实现亚微米尺寸的高空间分辨率成像。近场技术的引入成功地解决了光学衍射极限的限制,将近场技术与激光电离技术相结合,可以实现对固体样品表面纳米级弹坑的剥蚀。此外,传统的质谱成像技术常常假设样品表面是平整的,忽略其表面形貌的高低起伏,但这往往会导致信号强度不稳定和成像假象。为此,不仅需要获得样品中的化学组成与空间分布,还需同时获得样品表面的形貌信息,才能实现多功能的原位表征。在自行研制的激光解吸/电离飞行时间质谱的基础上,采用近场纳米有孔针尖离子源代替传统的远场激光聚焦,以532 nm波长激光为第一束解析激光,355 nm波长激光为后电离激光,音叉式原子力显微镜控制系统针尖与样品之间的距离维持在近场范围内,对酞菁铜镀层样品表面进行了弹坑剥蚀实验,获得了直径为550～850 nm的弹坑点阵;并对7.5 μm×7.5 μm的标准酞菁铜网格样品进行了铜离子亚微米级的高分辨率成像;此外,纳米有孔针尖离子源作为原子力显微镜的一种变体,还可同时获得成像区域的表面形貌信息,这一结合优势大大拓展了质谱技术在微纳尺度下的原位表征能力。     

甲醇/水混合团簇的多光子电离质谱研究

利用多光子电离技术结合飞行时间质谱仪对甲醇/水混合团簇进行了研究.在脉冲激光波长为355 nm条件下观测到团簇离子.主要的电离产物为质子化的(CH3OH)n(H2O)H+(n=l-13)混合团簇离子与(CH3OH)nH+团簇离子,经分析(CH3OH)1o(H2O) H+和(CH3OH)3H+为幻数结构.甲醇水混合团簇电离后团簇离子发生内部质子化转移反应是形成质子化团簇离子的主要原因.不同尺寸团簇离子信号强度随电离激光光强变化的光强指数曲线显示,团簇均发生四光子电离过程.     

Reliable Comparison of Electron Ionization Mass Spectra Recorded Under Identical Experimental Conditions

For the most reliable identification by means of electron ionization mass spectrometry, the full mass spectra of unknown compound and possible candidate should be recorded under identical experimental conditions and compared. The main problem is how to compare full mass spectra, which may contain a lot of peaks. We have proposed a new approach (based on using principal component analysis) for the reliable comparison of electron ionization mass spectra recorded under identical experimental conditions. Applicability of the approach has been demonstrated on the example of xylenol isomers.     

阿尔法蒎烯臭氧分解反应的极紫外自由电子激光光电离质谱研究

阿尔法蒎烯是大气中含量最高的自然源萜类挥发性有机物,其臭氧化分解反应会产生大量的反应中间体和产物,精确表征这些物种被认为是大气化学最前沿、最具挑战性的课题之一. 本文利用极紫外自由电子激光光电离质谱方法,研究了阿尔法蒎烯的臭氧分解反应机理. 该反应是在2立方米的烟雾箱中进行,利用气动透镜把产生的气溶胶传输到质谱探测腔室,利用极紫外自由电子激光对气溶胶进行单光子软电离,测得了常规实验方法难以得到的飞行时间质谱,发现了一系列新物种. 与量子化学理论计算相结合,揭示了这些新物种的反应机理. 这些研究结果从分子水平上揭示了蒎烯的臭氧分解反应机制,有助于理解大气雾霾微观机理.     

Influence Factors on Particle Growth for On-line Aerosol Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

利用自行研制的蒸发/冷凝实验装置作为基质辅助激光解吸/电离飞行时间质谱仪的特种接口,通过冷凝方式在线添加基质,冷凝管出口处的最终粒子直接引入空气动力学粒径分析仪或自行研制的飞行时间质谱仪,可对实验室产生的生物气溶胶粒子进行实时检测. 同时研究了最终粒子粒径大小的决定因素：加热池温度、初始粒子大小及其粒子数浓度及基质种类,获得了探测分析物分子离子峰所需的实验条件.