Field desorption/evaporation

For nonvolatile or thermally labile samples, a solution of the substance to be examined is applied to the emitter electrode by means of a microsyringe outside the ion source. After evaporation of the solvent, the emitter is put into the ion source and the ionizing voltage is applied. By this means, thermally labile substances, such as peptides, sugars, nucleosides, and so on, can be examined easily and provide excellent molecular mass information. Although still FI, this last ionization is referred to specifically as field desorption (FD). A comparison of FI and FD spectra of D-glucose is shown in Figure 5.6. 

The process of field ionization presupposes that the substance under investigation has been volatilized by heat, so some molecules of vapor settle onto the tips held at high potential. In such circumstances, thermally labile substances still cannot be examined, even though the ionization process itself is mild. To get around this difficulty, a solution of the substance under investigation can be placed on the wire and the solvent allowed to evaporate. When an electric potential is applied, positive or negative ions are produced, but no heating is necessary to volatilize the substance. This technique is called field desorption (FD) ionization. 

Cl in conjunction with a direct exposure probe is known as desorption chemical ionization (DCI). [30,89,90] In DCI, the analyte is applied from solution or suspension to the outside of a thin resistively heated wire loop or coil. Then, the analyte is directly exposed to the reagent gas plasma while being rapidly heated at rates of several hundred °C s and to temperatures up to about 1500 °C (Chap. 5.3.2 and Fig. 5.16). The actual shape of the wire, the method how exactly the sample is applied to it, and the heating rate are of importance for the analytical result. [91,92] The rapid heating of the sample plays an important role in promoting molecular species rather than pyrolysis products. [93] A laser can be used to effect extremely fast evaporation from the probe prior to CL [94] In case of nonavailability of a dedicated DCI probe, a field emitter on a field desorption probe (Chap. 8) might serve as a replacement. [30,95] Different from desorption electron ionization (DEI), DCI plays an important role. [92] DCI can be employed to detect arsenic compounds present in the marine and terrestrial environment [96], to determine the sequence distribution of P-hydroxyalkanoate units in bacterial copolyesters [97], to identify additives in polymer extracts [98] and more. [99] Provided appropriate experimental setup, high resolution and accurate mass measurements can also be achieved in DCI mode. [100]... 

Davis, S.C. Natoli, V. Neumann, G.M. Derrick, P.J. A Model of Ion Evaporation Tested Through Field Desorption Experiments on Glucose Mixed With Alkali Metal Salts. Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Proc. 1987, 78, 17-35. 

The precursor model of FAB applies well to ionic analytes and samples that are easily converted to ionic species within the liquid matrix, e.g., by protonation or deprotonation or due to cationization. Those preformed ions would simply have to be desorbed into the gas phase (Fig. 9.6). The promoting effect of decreasing pH (added acid) on [M+H] ion yield of porphyrins and other analytes supports the precursor ion model. [55,56] The relative intensities of [Mh-H] ions in FAB spectra of aliphatic amine mixtures also do not depend on the partial pressure of the amines in the gas phase, but are sensitive on the acidity of the matrix. [57] Furthermore, incomplete desolvation of preformed ions nicely explains the observation of matrix (Ma) adducts such as [M+Ma+H] ions. The precursor model bears some similarities to ion evaporation in field desorption (Chap. 8.5.1). 

When the applied electric field reaches a few volts per angstrom range, atoms on a surface, irrespective of whether they are lattice atoms or adsorbed atoms and of whether the surface temperature is high or low, may start to emit out of the surface in the form of ions. This high electric field produced evaporation phenomenon is usually called field evaporation if the surface atoms are lattice atoms, and is called field desorption if they are adsorbed atoms. From a theoretical point of view there are no fundamental differences. We will use the term field desorption for general purposes, especially for theoretical discussions, since desorption is the term used in many other adsorption-desorption phenomena. When we specifically mean removal of lattice atoms by electric field the term field evaporation will be used. Sometimes field evaporation is used where it may mean both field evaporation and field desorption. 

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