Tandem mass spectrometry separation methods

Kovalczuk et al. [81] developed a high-throughput method for multiresidue pesticide analysis in food matrices based on ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with coupling to tandem mass spectrometry. Separation of 17 polar pesticides was achieved in under 8 min (see Figure 13.5). The authors compared UHPLC and conventional LC approaches, and they observed higher separation efficiencies with the LC method. Faster separations and better limits of quantitation were possible with the UHPLC method, however. A different approach for multiresidue... 

A further extension of the DFG S19 method was achieved when polar analytes and those unsuitable for GC were determined by LC/MS or more preferably by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Triple-quadrupole MS/MS and ion trap MS" have become more affordable and acceptable in the recent past. These techniques provide multiple analyte methods by employing modes such as time segments, scan events or multiple injections. By improving the selectivity and sensitivity of detection after HPLC separation, the DFG S19 extraction and cleanup scheme can be applied to polar or high molecular weight analytes, and cleanup steps such as Si02 fractionation or even GPC become unnecessary. 

The most widely regarded approach to accomplish the determination of as many pesticides as possible in as few steps as possible is to use MS detection. MS is considered a universally selective detection method because MS detects all compounds independently of elemental composition and further separates the signal into mass spectral scans to provide a high degree of selectivity. Unlike GC with selective detectors, or even atomic emission detection (AED), GC/MS may provide acceptable confirmation of the identity of analytes without the need for further information. This reduces the need to re-inject a sample into a separate GC system (usually GC/MS) for pesticide confirmation. Through the use of selected ion monitoring (SIM), efficient ion-trap or quadrupole devices, and/or tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), modern GC/MS instruments provide LODs similar to or lower than those of selective detectors, depending on the analytes, methods, and detectors. 

MS detection does not necessarily require as highly resolved GC separations as in the case of selective detectors because the likelihood of an overlapping mass spectral peak among pesticides with the same retention time is less than the likelihood of an overlapping peak from the same element. Unfortunately, this advantage cannot always be optimized because SIM and current gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) methods, it is difficult to devise sequential SIM or MS/MS retention time windows to achieve fast GC separations for approximately > 50 analytes in a single method. 

If we consider only a few of the general requirements for the ideal polymer/additive analysis techniques (e.g. no matrix interferences, quantitative), then it is obvious that the choice is much restricted. Elements of the ideal method might include LD and MS, with reference to CRMs. Laser desorption and REMPI-MS are moving closest to direct selective sampling tandem mass spectrometry is supreme in identification. Direct-probe MS may yield accurate masses and concentrations of the components contained in the polymeric material. Selective sample preparation, efficient separation, selective detection, mass spectrometry and chemometric deconvolution techniques are complementary rather than competitive techniques. For elemental analysis, LA-ICP-ToFMS scores high. 

The instrumental analysis for the identification of UV filters degradation products formed during the fungal treatment process was performed by means of HPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry using a hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HPLC-QqTOF-MS/MS). Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Hibar Purospher STAR HR R-18 ec. (50 mm x 2.0 mm, 5 pm, from Merck). In the optimized method, the mobile phase consisted of a mixture of HPLC grade water and acetonitrile, both with 0.15% formic acid. The injection volume was set to 10 pL and the mobile phase flow-rate to 0.3 mL/min. 

The methods described above were completed by tandem mass spectrometry and applied for the determination of MG in various edible aquatic animals. The baseline separation of MG and LMG extracted from different tissues is illustrated in Fig. 3.27. 

A separation method using RP-HPLC and electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous determination of Sudan-azo dyes in hot chilli products. The chemical structures of the azo dyes included in the investigation are listed in... 

Hoke et al. [60] demonstrated fast analysis of ultratrace drugs in biomatrixes using packed column SFC tandem mass spectrometry (SFC/MS/MS). Compared to an LC-MS/MS method, the SFC separation provided a roughly threefold reduction in... 

However, tandem mass spectrometry, as a separation technique, does have limitations. It cannot easily differentiate between isomeric and isobaric species, and, in complex matrices, the presence of components with a high surface activity can suppress the ionization of components with a lower surface activity, leading to the nondetection of analytes (66). Therefore, the combination of MS-MS with a readily available chromatographic separation method such as TLC affords analysts real benefits. 

Supercritical-fluid chromatography has been applied by Ramsey et al. (213) for the determination of trimethoprim, along with three steroid hormones, in swine kidney. Separation was performed on a Spherisorb 5 amino-bonded column, using carbon dioxide with methanol modifier as the mobile phase. Detection at levels greater than 10 ppm was accomplished by tandem mass spectrometry using thermospray interface. However, this method lacks the sensitivity required to detect the low ppb levels likely to occur in milk and tissues. 

A selective, sensitive, and rapid hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of donepezil in human plasma [32], Donepezil was twice extracted from human plasma using methyl-ferf-butyl ether at basic pH. The analytes were separated on an Atlantis HILIC Silica column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile ammonium formate (50 mM, pH 4.0) (85 15, v/v) and detected by tandem mass spectrometry in the selective reaction monitoring mode. The calibration curve was linear (r = 0.9994) over the concentration range of 0.10-50.0 ng/ ml and the lower limit of quantification was 0.1 ng/ml using 200 /d plasma sample. The CV and relative error for intra- and inter-assay at four quality control levels were 2.7% to 10.5% and —10.0% to 0.0%, respectively. There was no matrix effect for donepezil and cisapride. The present method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of donepezil after oral dose of donepezil hydrochloride (10 mg tablet) to male healthy volunteers. 

Stenhoff et al. [117] determined enantiomers of omeprazole in blood plasma by normal-phase liquid chromatography and detection by atmospheric-pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The enantioselec-tive assay of omeprazole is using normal-phase liquid chromatography on a Chiralpak AD column and detection by mass spectrometry. Omeprazole is extracted by a mixture of dichloromethane and hexane and, after evaporation, redissolution and injection, separated into its enantiomers on the chiral stationary phase. Detection is made by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, using deuterated analogs and internal standards. The method enables determination in plasma down to 10 nmol/1 and shows excellent consistency suited for pharmacokinetic studies in man. 

Martens-Lobenhoffer et al. [119] used chiral HPLC-atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass-spectrometric method for the enantio-selective quantification of omeprazole and its main metabolites in human serum. The method features solid-phase separation, normal phase chiral HPLC separation, and atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry. The internal standards serve stable isotope labeled omeprazole and 5-hydroxy omeprazole. The HPLC part consists of Agilent 1100 system comprising a binary pump, an autosampler, a thermo-stated column component, and a diode array UV-VIS detector. The enantioselective chromatographic separation took place on a ReproSil Chiral-CA 5 ym 25 cm x 2 mm column, protected by a security guard system, equipped with a 4 mm x 2-mm silica filter insert. The analytes were detected by a Thermo Scientific TSQ Discovery Max triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, equipped with an APPI ion source with a... 

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