Electrospray ionization high-mass capabilities

A microcapillary trap cartridge-microcapillary high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization emitter device capable of peptide tandem mass spectrometry at the attomole level on an ion trap mass spectrometer with automated routine operation. Rapid Common. Mass Spectrom. 2003, 77(18), 2093-2098. 

The high throughput capability of MALDI and the different ionization mechanisms make this technique also an attractive alternative to electrospray ionization for the analysis of low relative molecular mass compounds (LRMM) [44]. However, interferences of matrix ions and the ionization of the low relative molecular mass compounds are the challenges of this technique [45, 46]. 

A variety of MS formats are widely accepted and applied in the pharmaceutical industry. The specific MS application is often defined by the sample introduction technique. The pharmaceutical applications highlighted in this article feature two types of sample introduction techniques dynamic and static. Dynamic sample introduction involves the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on-line with MS. The resulting liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) format provides unique and enabling capabilities for pharmaceutical analysis. The electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) modes are the most widely used. Static sample introduction techniques primarily use matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). ... 

For mat r years, Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron resonance mass spectrometiy (FT-ICR-MS) has been a tool used in fundamental studies of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions [71], Due to its high-resolution and MS-MS capabilities, the apphcation of FT-ICR-MS in combination with electrospray ionization for large biomacromolecules has been investigated more recently. At present, FT-ICR-MS can be considered as an important tool in the analysis of biomacromolecules and in applications where high resolution and/or high mass accuracy is important. The technique is gaining territory, also due to the introduction of user-friendly instrument by instrument manufacturers. 

Mass spectrometry currently has assumed a central role in protein sequencing. This development has been possible with the introduction of two highly sensitive ionization techniques electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) and the advent of improved instrumentation capable of high-mass and high-sensitivity detection. Currently, biopolymers with a molecular mass over 100,000 Da are analyzed routinely. In the past, fast atom bombardment (FAB) [6,7] and Cf plasma desorption (PD) ionization [8] also played a limited role in protein sequencing. Mass spectrometry now has assumed... 

---