Ionisation atmospheric pressure

The mass spectrometer is a mass-flow sensitive device, which means that the signal is proportional to the mass flow dm/dl of the analyte, i.e. the concentration times the flow-rate. It is only now possible to realise the high (theoretically unlimited) mass range and the high-sensitivity multichannel recording capabilities that were anticipated many years ago. Of considerable interest to the problem of polymer/additive deformulation are some of the latest developments in mass spectrometry, namely atmospheric pressure ionisation (API), and the revival of time-of-flight spectrometers (allowing GC-ToFMS, MALDI-ToFMS, etc.). 

Table 6.10 reports the main areas of application of the various ionisation methods and the principal ions detected. A breakdown of MS techniques applied to various types of analytes is as follows thermally stable, low-MW Cl, El thermally instable, low-MW APCI (FLA, LC-MS), ESI and high-MW DCI, FD, FAB, LD, ESI (FLA, LC-MS, CZE-MS). Soft ionisation techniques such as FL, FAB and LD are useful for the detection of non-volatile, sometimes oligomeric, polymer additives. Recent developments in ionisation techniques have allowed the analysis of polar, ionic, and high-MW compounds, previously not amenable to mass-spectrometric analysis. Figure 6.4 shows the applicability of various atmospheric pressure ionisation techniques in terms of molar mass and polarity. 

Figure 6.4 Applications of various atmospheric pressure ionisation techniques...

Earlier LC-MS systems used interfaces that either did not separate the mobile-phase molecules from the analyte molecules (DLI, TSP) or did so before ionisation (PB). The analyte molecules were then ionised in the mass spectrometer under vacuum, often by traditional El ionisation. These approaches are successful only for a very limited number of compounds. On the other hand, in atmospheric pressure ionisation, the analyte... 

Atmospheric pressure ionisation Atmospheric pressure MALDI Atmospheric pressure photo-ionisation Atmospheric pressure spray ionisation... 

Other types of atmospheric pressure ionisation detectors are available including APPI (photon ionisation) and MALDI (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation). More conventional detection systems for LC include UV absorption, fluorescence and evaporative light scattering. Developments in column packings,... 

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IONISATION MASS SPECTROMETRY—I. GENERAL ASPECTS... 

These problems have largely been solved by the development of a wide variety of powerful LC-MS interfaces (reviewed in Refs. [1-3]). In the following paragraphs, the two most widely used atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) systems, namely atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) and electrospray ionisation (ESI), are briefly described, along with the older technique of thermospray ionisation... 

Several years later, the next step in the application of MS-MS for mixture analysis was developed by Hunt et al. [3-5] who described a master scheme for the direct analysis of organic compounds in environmental samples using soft chemical ionisation (Cl) to perform product, parent and neutral loss MS-MS experiments for identification [6,7]. The breakthrough in LC-MS was the development of soft ionisation techniques, e.g. desorption ionisation (continuous flow-fast atom bombardment (CF-FAB), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) or laser desorption (LD)), and nebulisation ionisation techniques such as thermospray ionisation (TSI), and atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) techniques such as atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI), and electrospray ionisation (ESI). 

Whilst these methods are informative for the characterisation of synthetic mixtures, the information gained and the nature of these techniques precludes their use in routine quantitative analysis of environmental samples, which requires methods amenable to the direct introduction of aqueous samples and in particular selective and sensitive detection. Conventionally, online separation techniques coupled to mass spectrometric detection are used for this, namely gas (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC). As a technique for agrochemical and environmental analyses, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to atmospheric pressure ionisation-mass spectrometry (API-MS) is extremely attractive, with the ability to analyse relatively polar compounds and provide detection to very low levels. 

Atmospheric pressure ionisation-mass spectrometric characterisation of silicone surfactants... 

Quantitative analysis by atmospheric pressure ionisation-mass spectrometry... 

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IONISATION MASS SPECTROMETRY—VI. NON-IONIC SURFACTANTS LC-MS OF OTHER NON-IONIC SURFACTANTS... 

MS techniques have met this need in the analysis of involatile, polar surfactants after coupling techniques of liquid chromatographic methods with MS became available. Different types of interfaces for off-line and on-line coupling of liquid chromatography (LC) and MS in the analyses of surfactants had been in use [7,16] while the methods applied at present were performed predominately with soft-ionising atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) interfaces [16-19],... 

Owing to the anionic character of LAS, an electrospray ionisation (ESI) interface operated in negative ion mode is particularly attractive for the mass spectrometric detection of this surfactant type. Consequently, a great part of the atmospheric pressure ionisation-mass spectrometry (API-MS) work on LAS is devoted to the application of (— )-ESI-MS. 

In the last few years, MS has been used to detect cationic surfactants because the fixed ionic charge of these molecules makes them suitable for the analysis by atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) MS. Radke... 

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IONISATION MASS SPECTROMETRY—X. LC—MS OF AMPHOTERIC SURFACTANTS... 

Undoubtedly, mass spectrometric detection has a substantial role to play in condensed-phase chromatographic analyses of toxic impurities. As in GC/MS, it can be highly sensitive, although this is probably more analyte-specific than in GC/MS. Selectivity can be gained by SIM on single quadrupoles or, if necessary, SRM on MS/MS instruments. What must be considered is the appropriate ionisation mode to be used in LC/MS. Most modern instruments use atmospheric pressure ionisation sources, including electrospray ionisation (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) and more recently atmospheric pressure photoionisation (APPI). 

Fenn published work in 1989 [7-9] showing ionisation of large molecules by electrospray ionisation (ESI). Fenn built on the early work of Malcolm Dole [10] but Fenn used a counter current gas to assist with desolvation of the droplets and aid the formation of the ions. In the early 1990s, experiments with atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) showed promise and in a short space of time the first commercial systems utilising the new techniques of ESI [11] and Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation (APCI) began to appear on analysts benches. The sensitive, reliable and easily operated LC-MS system had arrived. 

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