Examples of Other Interfaces

Installing additional accessories in front of the ion source can render analytes amenable to ionization and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis. On-line sample treatment is especially important when analyzing liquid-phase, complex, and/or concentrated samples. For example a thermal vaporizer was used to enable analysis of liquid samples by a process mass spectrometer designed for gas analysis [196], This system has been successfully implemented in the monitoring of an esterification reaction [197]. The obtained data were in a good agreement with those recorded by in-line mid-infrared spectrometry. The setup incorporated a magnetic sector analyzer with two detectors an electron multiplier detector 

TRMS can provide information about possible artifacts related to the operation of standard analytical equipment (including ion sources and mass analyzers). Perfluorotri-n-butylamine (PFTBA) is often used as a calibration standard in EI-MS. Greaser et al. [206] observed products of the reaction of PFTBA ions with neutral species (residual water) in an ion trap. They monitored the buildup of the product of this reaction on a 

Special interfaces are used for highly specialized tasks. For example, Sloane and Rat-cliffe [207] devised an instrument for molecular beam sampling of transient combustion phenomena by TRMS. It was possible to detect various flame components with good spatial and temporal resolution [207]. Reaction kinetics and the chemistry of low-pressure flames was studied with aid of a photoionization method [208]. 

One less common but attention-grabbing application of TRMS is related to nuclear physics, in the area of synthesis of new unstable nuclei. In order to synthesize heavy atoms, Pb or Bi targets are irradiated with a stream of charged particles [209]. The newly produced heavy ions are directed through quadrupole lenses and velocity Alters toward detectors. Their implantation energy is correlated with the subsequent radioactive decays in order to identify the generated nuclei [210]. Detection of new heavy elements is particularly difficult because they have very short half-lives. The data obtained from heavy ion detectors and silicon detectors are put together to match the characteristics of the new elements with the theoretical predictions. 

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