On field desorption mass spectrometry of salts

The types of ion occurring in the field desorption mass spectra of inorganic and organic salts are discussed. In contrast to general experience with field desorption mass spectrometry molecular ions are either absent or of low intensity. The energetically and kindetically favoured process of cluster formation, however, generates ions from which the molecular structure can be easily derved. Some specific aspects for the analyses of salts by field desrption mass spectrometry are outlined.     

Rapid characterization of biomaterials by field ionization

The direct application of field ionization to complex biomaterials is described. Volatiles are characterized by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Complex involatile materials are investigated by thermal degradation in high vacuum. The methodology and typical analytical features of pyrolysis of biopolymers and soft ionization of their pyrolysates in the high electric field are described. The combination of direct, in-source pyrolysis mass spectrometry and pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry is used in two steps. Firstly, for fast profiling of the complex materials and, secondly, for identification of significant products of the controlled thermal degradation process. In particular, temperature programmed/time-resolved pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry has been shown to be an efficient analytical tool as demonstrated for typical examples such as chitin, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, wood, peat and coal. Recent results on foodstuffs such as coffee, chocolate, tea and biscuits illustrate the potential of the combined methods for routine work.     

Mass spectrometric behavior of levoglucosan under different ionization conditions and implications for studies of cellulose pyrolysis

Pyrolysis-mass spectrometric studies of cellulose indicate low abundances of levoglucosan in the product spectrum compared to the yield values determined in more conventional types of pyrolysis studies. To examine the reason for these conflicting observation, levoglucosan was examined under different ion source conditions and ionization modes to ascertain the relative contributions of thermal degradation and ionization fragmention to the low abundances of the levoglucosan molecular ion. Low-energy electron ionization using conventional sample volatilization and molecular-beam sampling is compared to chemical ionization using methane, isobutane, and ammonia as reagent gases, and to field ionization and desorption. The mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns under the various systems indicate that studies of cellulose pyrolysis underestimate the amount of levoglucosan formed due to ionization fragmentation and thermal rearrangement reactions in the ion source. Several peaks, including m/z 126 and 144, are dominated by the contribution from the fragmentation of levoglucosan.     

Chelation reactions of acetylacetone on a field ion emitter

Reactions of metal chlorides adsorbed on a field ion emitter with acetylacetone admitted from the gas phase lead to the formation of a number of different acetylacetonate ions. It is shown that these ions originate mainly from chelation reactions in which acetylacetonate molecules are formed prior to field ionization.     

Quantitative Felddesorptions-Massenspektrometrie. II

Zusammenfassung Die Molekülionen von Gemischen polycyclischer Kohlenwasserstoffe wurden auf der Photoplatte eines hochauflösenden Felddesorptions-Massenspektrometers registriert. Die erhaltenen Schwärzungsintensitäten wurden mit der relativen Konzentration der eingesetzten Mischungskomponenten verglichen. Proben im Mikrogrammbereich ergaben Abweichungen von etwa ± 5%.Wir danken Herrn Dr. H. Güsten, Karlsruhe, für die uns zur Verfügung gestellten polycyclischen Kohlenwasserstoffe und Herrn Dr. W. D. Lehmann für wertvolle Diskussionen. Der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft, dem Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen sowie dem Fonds der chemischen Industrie danken wir für die finanzielle Unterstützung.     

High-resolution field desorption mass spectrometry: Part VII. Explosives and Explosive Mixtures4

Standard explosives and technical mixtures of explosives have been investigated by field desorption mass spectrometry. The compounds investigated gave intense molecular ions or protonated molecules and structurally significant fragmentation. For comparison, the corresponding electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectrometry data are reported. Emission-controlled field desorption, photographic detection, and accurate mass measurements enabled the components of the technical mixtures to be identified. An example of the determination of an additive in a technical product by field desorption mass spectrometry and stable isotope dilution is given. The use of these techniques for quality control of explosives and for forensic investigations appears to be promising.     

Identification of barbiturates from extracts of urine,stomach fluid,liver and kidney by high-performance liquid chromatography and field desorption mass spectrometry1,2

The characteristic behaviour of a series of important barbiturates in field desorption mass spectrometry (f.d.m.s.) is described. Detection limits are reported for three standard barbiturates by f.d.m.s. and high-performance liquid chromatography (h.p.l.c.). The off-line combination of h.p.l.c. and f.d.m.s. is used in forensic investigations to identify these drugs unequivocally in body fluids such as urine and stomach fluids and in extracts from human liver and kidney tissues. Eighteen barbiturates were tested. The use of f.d.m.s. as an off-line h.p.l.c. detector provides detection limits (S/N =3:1) ranging from 1 ng g^-1 to 10 ng g^-1, depending on the compound and on the preliminary clean-up used.     

Comparisom of electron impact and field desorption mass spectra I : Substituted sultams

The low and the high resolution electron impact (EI) and field desorption (FD) mass spectra (MS) of substituted 5- or 6-membered ring sultams are given and the main fragmentation pathways are interpreted. Sultams carrying polar substituents, such as dicarboxylic acids and their mono- and di-amides show either small or no molecular ions with EI-MS. Their existence, however, can be indirectly inferred by metastable defocusing. In contrast to these findings FD-MS display in all our examples the quasimolecular ions (M + 1)⁺ as the base peaks of the spectra. While the pattern for the EI fragmentations follows the generally known rules very closely, five general aspects for the fragmentation pathway of FD mass spectra have been established which demonstrate the characteristics of this modern analytical method. The use of high temperature activated emitters enables a choice to be made between obtaining only molecular peaks and producing significant fragments via a controlled thermal degradation. This is the first time that the complementary and different characters of the information obtained with the two ionization modes EI and FD have been demonstrated on a homologous series of compounds.     

STRUCTURE OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN and in situ ISOMERIZATION OF RETINAL: A MOLECULAR DYNAMICS STUDY*

Abstract– Henderson's model of the structure of bacteriorhodopsin has been completed by adding the missing loop regions and by subsequent energy minimization and equilibration (for about 100 ps) at 300 K. Analysis of the structure during a later 20 ps molecular dynamics run showed no significant deviations from the Henderson model. In situ isomerization reactions of the retinal chromophore in bacteriorhodopsin have then been simulated to investigate the chromophore protein interaction for the three isomerization reactions: (i) all-trans→ 13-cis; (ii)all-trans→ 13,14-dicis; and (iii) all-trans→ 13,15-dicis. We find that reaction (iii) which accompanies dark-adaptation of bacteriorhodopsin can proceed in the binding site without any sterical hinderance and involves negligible motions of the covalently bound Lys-216 and other side groups. Reaction (ii) exhibits a somewhat larger but still small energy barrier and involves little rearrangement of Lys-216 and the protein backbone. Reaction (i) experiences a sterical impediment amounting to more than 10 kT at physiological temperatures and also induces significant structural changes at the binding site. Our simulations also reveal that reaction (ii) as a photo-isomerization process can be completed within about 400 fs, whereas reaction (i) requires longer times for completion. Reaction (i) is also accompanied by a co-rotation of the 14–15 bond by 150° (even when a torsional barrier of 20 kcal/mol is imposed to impede rotation of the 14–15 bond) such that photoreactions (i) and (ii), in effect, lead to very similar final geometries. Isomerization (ii) can readily explain the pump mechanism of bacteriorhodopsin: the sequential, thermal back-reaction 13,14-dicis→ 13-cisall-trans can be acid-base catalyzed, i.e., coupled to deprotonation and reprotonation of retinal's Schiff base nitrogen. The orientation of retinal is such that Asp-85 can act as the acceptor and Asp-96 as the (indirect) donor. The thermal back-reaction 13,14-dicis→ all-trans can be coupled to vectorial Cl^? ion transport as well.     

High resolution field desorption mass spectrometry III

Summary For the examples shown in this study in all cases FD-MS allowed the determination of the molecular weight and the elemental composition. Some of the characteristic features of sulphonic acids and sulphonates in field desorption are described. The method is obviously very well suited for the analysis of non-volatile technical products (e.g. dyestuffs, detergents, drugs). Information about the molecular weight, the structure, organic and inorganic by-products and impurities is obtained and thus the applicability of FD-MS to the analysis of actual analytical problems is clearly demonstrated.

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Hochauflösungs-Felddesorptions-MassenspektrometrieIII. Sulfonsäuren und Sulfonate

Zusammenfassung Für die untersuchten Verbindungen ergab FD-MS in allen Fällen das Molekulargewicht und die Bruttoformel. Einige der charakteristischen Merkmale von Sulfonsäuren und Sulfonaten bei der Felddesorption werden beschrieben. Die Methode ist für die Analyse nichtflüchtiger, technischer Produkte (z. B. Farbstoffe, Detergentien, Pharmazeutica) sehr gut geeignet. Sie liefert Informationen über das Molekulargewicht, die Struktur, organische und anorganische Nebenprodukte und Verunreinigungen.

Part II.: Schulten, H.-R., Games, D. E.: Glycosides. Biomed. Mass Spectrom. 1, 120 (1974).