Analytical techniques flight instruments

Probably the simplest mass spectrometer is the time-of-flight (TOP) instrument [36]- Aside from magnetic deflection instruments, these were among the first mass spectrometers developed. The mass range is theoretically infinite, though in practice there are upper limits that are governed by electronics and ion source considerations. In chemical physics and physical chemistry, TOP instruments often are operated at lower resolving power than analytical instruments. Because of their simplicity, they have been used in many spectroscopic apparatus as detectors for electrons and ions. Many of these techniques are included as chapters unto themselves in this book, and they will only be briefly described here. 

MS was first successfully applied to analysis of intact microor nisms more than 40 years ago (Anhalt and Fenselau 1975). These efforts have expanded and have been particularly significant after the introduction of the soft ionization MS techniques—matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) (Perm et al. 1989 Tanaka 2003 Karas andHillenkamp 1988). Both techniques (recognized by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002) allow the ionization and transfer into vacuum of large, intact, nonvolatile biomolecules, such as proteins. Various types of mass analyzers—quadrupole, ion trap, time-of-flight (TOF)— have been coupled to both MALDI and ESI ion sources, allowing multiple stages (tandem) MS to be performed for structure elucidation of analytes of interest. All these instrumental developments have allowed MS to become a well-established... 

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