Tandem mass spectrometry analyzer combinations

For some complex mixtures, the combination of LC and MS does not provide enough resolution. In recent years, it has become feasible to couple two or more mass analyzers together in a technique known as tandem mass spectrometry. When combined with LC, the tandem mass spectrometry system is called an LC/MS/MS instrument. ... 

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a method for obtaining sequence and structural information by measurement of the mass-to-charge ratios of ionized molecules before and after dissociation reactions within a mass spectrometer which consists essentially of two mass spectrometers in tandem. In the first step, precursor ions are selected for further fragmentation by energy impact and interaction with a collision gas. The generated product ions can be analyzed by a second scan step. MS/MS measurements of peptides can be performed using electrospray or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization in combination with triple quadruple, ion trap, quadrupole-TOF (time-of-flight), TOF-TOF or ion cyclotron resonance MS. Tandem... 

Different mass analysers can be combined with the electrospray ionization source to effect analysis. These include magnetic sector analysers, quadrupole filter (Q), quadrupole ion trap (QIT), time of flight (TOF), and more recently the Fourrier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass analysers. Tandem mass spectrometry can also be effected by combining one or more mass analysers in tandem, as in a triple quadrupole or a QTOF. The first analyzer is usually used as a mass filter to select parent ions that can be fragmented and analyzed by subsequent analysers. 

Multiple mass analyzers exist that can perform tandem mass spectrometry. Some use a tandem-in-space configuration, such as the triple quadrupole mass analyzers illustrated (Fig.3.9). Others use a tandem-in-time configuration and include instruments such as ion-traps (ITMS) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS or FTMS). A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer can only perform the tandem process once for an isolated precursor ion (e.g., MS/MS), but trapping or tandem-in-time instruments can perform repetitive tandem mass spectrometry (MS ), thus adding n 1 degrees of structural characterization and elucidation. When an ion-trap is combined with HPLC and photodiode array detection, the net result is a profiling tool that is a powerful tool for both metabolite profiling and metabolite identification. 

TOF analyzers are especially compatible with MALDI ion sources and hence are frequently coupled in aMALDI-TOF configuration. Nevertheless, many commercial mass spectrometers combine ESI with TOF with great success. For proteomics applications, the quadrupole TOF (QqTOF) hybrid instruments with their superior mass accuracy, mass range, and mass resolution are of much greater utility than simple TOF instruments.21,22 Moreover, TOF instruments feature high sensitivity because they can generate full scan data without the necessity for scanning that causes ion loss and decreased sensitivity. Linear mode TOF instruments cannot perform tandem mass spectrometry. This problem is addressed by hybrid instruments that incorporate analyzers with mass selective capability (e.g., QqTOF) in front of a TOF instrument. 

The TOF mass analyzer has a low duty cycle, and the combination with an ion accumulation device such as an ion trap is therefore very advantageous. It offers also MS capabilities with accurate mass measurement. In all acquisition modes, the ions are accelerated into the time of flight for mass analysis. Various other hybrid mass spectrometers with TOF have been described, including quadrupole ion trap [70] and linear ion trap [58]. High energy tandem mass spectrometry can be performed on TOF-TOF mass spectrometers [71, 72]. 

The study of protein structure, function, quantity, and interactions during maturation and progression of disease is referred to as proteomics. Analytical approaches that use a combination of two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis for protein separation and MS analysis for protein identification followed by database searches is a widely practiced proteomics strategy.The tryptic peptides extracted from gels are analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS and microcolunm or capillary LC tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) techniques. Typically, the MALDI-TOF MS techniques are used to quickly identify peptide fragments and confirm the presence of known proteins. Nano-scale capillary LC/MS/MS techniques (using 50-100 pm diameter columns, operating at flow rates of 20-500 nL/min) are... 

Another technological development in tandem mass spectrometry is the combination of two TOP mass spectrometers, TOF/TOK These instruments have excellent sensitivity and throughput for MALDI-MS/MS and are especially suited for proteomics research. However, these instruments are unable to perform true precursor ion scans or constant neutral loss scans. The Bruker Daltonics ultra-flex and Applied Biosystem 4700 proteomics analyzer are examples of this type of instrument, Such mstruments have yet to make an impact in clinical chemistry. 

With electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), the liquid sample is introduced into the ion source through a capillary tube and exposed to a strong electric field and a counter flow of nitrogen gas, which in combination produce the electrospray (see Chapter 7). The solvent evaporates and eventually desorption of charged ions occurs into the mass analyzer. ESI occurs under atmospheric... 

The evolution of gas from a thermal analyzer such as a TGA, DTA, or DSC may be determined using evolved gas detection (EGD) or, if qualitative or quantitative analysis of the gas is required, evolved gas analysis (EGA). These techniques are essentially a combination of thermal analysis and MS, tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS), GC-MS or other... 

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