Molecular secondary ion mass

S. Pachuta and R.G. Cooks, Mechanisms in molecular secondary ion mass spectrometry, Chem. Rev., 87 (1987) 647-669. 

Progress in molecular secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is presented, with emphasis on applications and the mechanism of ion formation. The mechanism involves three processes (1) energy conversion at the surface,... 

Day, R. J., Unger, S. E., and Cooks, R. G. (1980). Molecular secondary ion mass spectrometry. Anal. Chem. 52, 557A-572A. 

Matrix assisted molecular secondary ion mass spectra of viridopentaoses have been described, illustrating a valuable technique for the structural analysis of polar compounds. Mass spectral study of antibiotics is also referred to in Chapter 18. 

A big step forward came with the discovery that bombardment of a liquid target surface by abeam of fast atoms caused continuous desorption of ions that were characteristic of the liquid. Where this liquid consisted of a sample substance dissolved in a solvent of low volatility (a matrix), both positive and negative molecular or quasi-molecular ions characteristic of the sample were produced. The process quickly became known by the acronym FAB (fast-atom bombardment) and for its then-fabulous results on substances that had hitherto proved intractable. Later, it was found that a primary incident beam of fast ions could be used instead, and a more generally descriptive term, LSIMS (liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry) has come into use. However, note that purists still regard and refer to both FAB and LSIMS as simply facets of the original SIMS. In practice, any of the acronyms can be used, but FAB and LSIMS are more descriptive when referring to the primary atom or ion beam. 

The use of separation techniques, such as gel permeation and high pressure Hquid chromatography interfaced with sensitive, silicon-specific aas or ICP detectors, has been particularly advantageous for the analysis of siUcones in environmental extracts (469,483—486). Supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with various detection devices is effective for the separation of siUcone oligomers that have molecular weights less than 3000 Da. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-sims) is appHcable up to 10,000 Da (487). 

The main experimental techniques used to study the failure processes at the scale of a chain have involved the use of deuterated polymers, particularly copolymers, at the interface and the measurement of the amounts of the deuterated copolymers at each of the fracture surfaces. The presence and quantity of the deuterated copolymer has typically been measured using forward recoil ion scattering (FRES) or secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The technique was originally used in a study of the effects of placing polystyrene-polymethyl methacrylate (PS-PMMA) block copolymers of total molecular weight of 200,000 Da at an interface between polyphenylene ether (PPE or PPO) and PMMA copolymers [1]. The PS block is miscible in the PPE. The use of copolymers where just the PS block was deuterated and copolymers where just the PMMA block was deuterated showed that, when the interface was fractured, the copolymer molecules all broke close to their junction points The basic idea of this technique is shown in Fig, I. 

Mass Spectrometry. Mass spectrometry holds great promise for low-level toxin detection. Previous studies employed electron impact (El), desorption chemical ionization (DCI), fast atom bombardment (FAB), and cesium ion liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) to generate positive or negative ion mass spectra (15-17, 21-23). Firm detection limits have yet to be reported for the brevetoxins. Preliminary results from our laboratory demonstrated that levels as low as 500 ng PbTx-2 or PbTx-3 were detected by using ammonia DCI and scans of 500-1000 amu (unpublished data). We expect significant improvement by manipulation of the DCI conditions and selected monitoring of the molecular ion or the ammonia adduction. 

The impact of an ion beam on the electrode surface can result in the transfer of the kinetic energy of the ions to the surface atoms and their release into the vacuum as a wide range of species—atoms, molecules, ions, atomic aggregates (clusters), and molecular fragments. This is the effect of ion sputtering. The SIMS secondary ion mass spectrometry) method deals with the mass spectrometry of sputtered ions. The SIMS method has high analytical sensitivity and, in contrast to other methods of surface analysis, permits a study of isotopes. In materials science, the SIMS method is the third most often used method of surface analysis (after AES and XPS) it has so far been used only rarely in electrochemistry. 

TPD and static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) data suggest that methanol dissociatively adsorbs at Ob-vacs and molecularly at the Ti5c sites [52, 53]. There is also some evidence that methanol also dissociates at other sites apart from Ob-vacs, presumably Tisc sites [53-55]. Similar conclusions have been reached for a series of short-chain (C2-C8) aliphatic alcohols [56-58]. 

K. Saito, T. Mitsutani, T. Imai, Y. Matsushita and K. Fukushima, Discriminating the indistinguishable sapwood from heartwood in discolored ancient wood by direct molecular mapping of specific extractives using time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, Analytical Chemistry, 80, 1552 1557 (2008). 

Secondary ion (mass spectrometry) SIMS Particle induced desorption/ ionization Nonvolatile molecular ions Semiconductors Surface analysis Imaging... 

Figure 2.8. Schematic of a sputtering event in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Mainly neutral species are ejected, but also some positively charged and negatively charged ions. For samples containing analyte with relatively low masses, intact molecular ions can be desorbed. The greater portion of ejected compounds is, however, fragments.

The elemental composition, oxidation state, and coordination environment of species on surfaces can be determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) techniques. Both techniques have a penetration depth of 5-20 atomic layers. Especially XPS is commonly used in characterization of electrocatalysts. One common example is the identification and quantification of surface functional groups such as nitrogen species found on carbon-based catalysts.26-29 Secondary Ion Mass spectrometry (SIMS) and Ion Scattering Spectroscopy are alternatives which are more surface sensitive. They can provide information about the surface composition as well as the chemical bonding information from molecular clusters and have been used in characterization of cathode electrodes.30,31 They can also be used for depth profiling purposes. The quantification of the information, however, is rather difficult.32... 

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