Mass spectrometry desorption ionisation techniques

Mass spectrometry is used to identify unknown compounds by means of their fragmentation pattern after electron impact. This pattern provides structural information. Mixtures of compounds must be separated by chromatography beforehand, e.g. gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) because fragments of different compounds may be superposed, thus making spectral interpretation complicated or impossible. To obtain complementary information about complex mixtures as a whole, it may be advantageous to have only one peak for each compound that corresponds to its molecular mass ([M]+). Even for thermally labile, nonvolatile compounds, this can be achieved by so-called soft desorption/ionisation techniques that evaporate and ionise the analytes without fragmentation, e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). 

For non-volatile sample molecules, other ionisation methods must be used, namely desorption/ionisation (DI) and nebulisation ionisation methods. In DI, the unifying aspect is the rapid addition of energy into a condensed-phase sample, with subsequent generation and release of ions into the mass analyser. In El and Cl, the processes of volatilisation and ionisation are distinct and separable in DI, they are intimately associated. In nebulisation ionisation, such as ESP or TSP, an aerosol spray is used at some stage to separate sample molecules and/or ions from the solvent liquid that carries them into the source of the mass spectrometer. Less volatile but thermally stable compounds can be thermally vaporised in the direct inlet probe (DIP) situated close to the ionising molecular beam. This DIP is standard equipment on most instruments an El spectrum results. Techniques that extend the utility of mass spectrometry to the least volatile and more labile organic molecules include FD, EHD, surface ionisation (SIMS, FAB) and matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALD) as the last... 

Recently, Lattimer et al. [22,95] advocated the use of mass spectrometry for direct analysis of nonvolatile compounding agents in polymer matrices as an alternative to extraction procedures. FAB-MS was thus applied as a means for surface desorption/ionisation of vulcanisates. FAB is often not as effective as other ionisation methods (El, Cl, FI, FD), and FAB-MS is not considered particularly useful for extracted rubber additives analysis compared to other methods that are available [36], The effectiveness of the FAB technique has been demonstrated for the analysis of a live-component additive mixture [96]. 

Although FD was one of the earliest forms of soft ionisation, poor sensitivity and limited applicability have restricted the impact of the approach in the mainstream of mass spectrometry. More recently, many of the application areas of FD and FI have been appropriated by FAB-MS, which is generally considered to be a technique that requires less expertise alternatively, laser desorption is frequently being applied. FD-MS is only used in a handful of laboratories worldwide. The technique has recently been reviewed [107], and is subject of various monographs [108,112],... 

Experimental considerations Sample preparation and data evaluation are similar to membrane osmometry. Since there is no lower cut-off as in membrane osmometry, the method is very sensitive to low molar mass impurities like residual solvent and monomers. As a consequence, the method is more suitable for oligomers and short polymers with molar masses up to (M)n 50kg/mol. Today, vapour pressure osmometry faces strong competition from mass spectrometry techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) [20,21]. Nevertheless, vapour pressure osmometry still has advantages in cases where fragmentation issues or molar mass-dependent desorption and ionization probabilities come into play. 

Microprobe laser desorption laser ionisation mass spectrometry (/xL2MS) is used to provide spatial resolution and identification of organic molecules across a meteorite sample. Tracking the chemical composition across the surface of the meteorite requires a full mass spectrum to be measured every 10 p,m across the surface. The molecules must be desorbed from the surface with minimal disruption to their chemical structure to prevent fragmentation so that the mass spectrum consists principally of parent ions. Ideally, the conventional electron bombardment ionisation technique can be replaced with an ionisation that is selective to the carbonaceous species of interest to simplify the mass spectrum. Most information will be obtained if small samples are used so that sensitivity levels should be lower than attomolar (10—18 M) fewer than 1000 molecules can be detected and above all it must be certain that the molecules came from the sample and are not introduced by the instrument itself. 

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). 

Below we report methodological studies based upon HPLC, GC/FID, GC-MS, LC-MS, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF/MS), CE, proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( I INMR), RIA and enzymatic colorimetric techniques. 

The mass spectrometry analysis was performed by the matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (S8-MALDI) technique using a Voyager-DE PRO Biospectrometry Workstation (Applied Biosystems, USA). Radiation pulses of 0.5 ns and 3 Hz frequency from N2 laser operating at 337 nm were used to desorb the species and negative/positive ions formed were detected in reflectron mode. Sulfur used as a matrix material was also dissolved in toluene and mixed with the samples solution prior to deposition onto a target. 

A recently introduced technique for the separation of larger molecules is matrix-assisted faser Resorption-ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Developed by Karas et al. [4, 5] in 1988, it has been successfully used to determine the mass of biomolecules up to 500.000 Da. This method is based on the principle that the dissolved specimen is mixed with a matrix, and then crystallizes. After drying, a laser pulse is directed onto the solid matrix to photo-excite the matrix material,resulting in desorption and soft ionisation of the analyte.The molar mass is then determined by the lime ef ilight (TOF). 

Mass spectrometry has assumed great importance in determinations of the molar masses of biological macromolecules, even quite large ones. This is due to developments such as electrospray ionisation (ESI) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ ionisation (MALDI), which have made it possible to determine the molar masses of biopolymers up to several 100 kDa (Pitt 1996 Kellner et al. 1999 Snyder 2000). The combination of MALDI techniques with time-of-flight mass spectrometers (MALDI-TOF) is of particular significance for determination of the molar masses of proteins with high sensitivity (typically pmol quantities, although exceptionally fmol) and precision (proteins up to 100 kDa with precision of about 0.01 %). Mass spectrometry can provide very accurate measurements of protein molar mass that can yield information about even minor structural modifications not readily accessible by other means. 

The classical area of application of mass spectrometry has been with small volatile compounds, although non-volatile samples could be analysed if they were suitably derivatised. The application of mass spectrometry to large complex molecules like proteins has been made possible by the development of novel ionisation techniques which enable large molecules (> 200 kDa) to be introduced into the mass spectrometer in an intact form suitable for analysis (Siuzdak 1996 Dass 2000). Of the various techniques that have been developed, electrospray ionisation (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation (MALDI) are the ones best suited for use with macromolecules and macromolecular complexes. 

Although FAB has been used in polymer analysis, problems with fragmentation and the relatively low mass limit has made this less popular as new techniques have emerged. Plasma desorption has been used successfully but this too has waned in popularity with commercial spectrometers not really readily available. To a large extent polymer mass spectrometry equates to MALDI time-of-flight and the remainder of this article will bear this in mind. However, the use of electrospray ionisation (ESI) will be considered in conjunction with either quadrupole detectors or ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) N. B. ICR detectors can also be used with MALDI, as this is important and probably not as widely used as it could be. 

Larhrib, H. Wells, M.H. Rubinstein, M.H., et al. Characterization of PEGs using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionisation mass spectrometry and other related techniques. Int. J. Pharm. 1997, 14, 187-198. 

Rather limited use has been made of mass spectrometry in the study of organotin compounds,23-24 though MS linked to gas-liquid chromatography is now being used for the identification of organotin compounds, particularly in environmental studies. Most of the early work involved electron ionisation (El), but in recent years, other techniques such as chemical ionisation (Cl),25 fast atom bombardment (FAB),26, 27 field desorption,28 surface ionisation,29 and, particularly, electrospray (ES),30 31 have been used. 

Two new independently developed techniques called Dart ° (direct analysis in real time) and Desi (desorption electrospray ionisation) are making a huge impact on mass spectrometry. Together they remove the need for sample preparation and vacuum, speed up analysis time and can work in the open air. The sample is held in a gas or liquid stream at room temperature and the impact induces the surface desorption of ions. The ions then continue into the vacuum interface of the MS for analysis. Samples can be hard, soft or even liquid in nature. Ifa et al. have used Desi to image biological samples in two dimensions, recording images of tissue sections and the relative concentrations of molecules therein. Jeol have launched a commercial Dart ion source for non-contact analysis of materials in open air under ambient conditions. 

The mass spectrometry of oligonucleotides is a rapidly expanding research area dominated by the techniques of electrospray ionisation and matrix assisted laser desorption-ionisation, time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. A number of reviews of this area have been published this year. Several... 

A reliable analysis of multicomponent mixtures is particularly difficult and the situation becomes more complicated and less meaningful with increasing mixture size. Nevertheless, the analysis of peptide libraries is possible by mass spectroscopic means.366-572 mixture size increases, the main aim of any analysis is to ensure that the vast majority of expected library members are represented in the mixture. The use of MS in conjunction with other analytical techniques (HPLC-MS, GC-MS, MS-MS) have been used successfully in library characterisation. 3.425.573 Electronspray-MS is a particularly mild method for ionisation. s Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation - time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is a tool of increasing importance in multicomponent analysis. Its reduced tendency to preferential ionisation results in an increased likelihood of observing ions from all components.5 575... 

Since the 1980s a revolution in the use of mass spectrometry for biological analyses has occurred and continues today. A major reason for this development was the introduction of new ionisation techniques such as fast atom bombardment (FAB), plasma desorption (PD) and thermospray (TSP) permitting the production of gas phase ions from charged and polar biopolymers [7—10). It has reached a first culmination with the recent award of the 2002 Nobel prizes in chemistry to two scientists pioneering the development of electrospray-ionisation and laser desorption mass spectrometry, John Fenn and Kuichi Tanaka [11, 12]. 

Samperi and co-workers [60] examined the thermal degradation behaviour of PET under nitrogen within the temperature range used in commercial processing of this polymer (270-370 °C) using a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. 

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