Trajectories of Ions and Neutrals

For the chromatographic column, flow of solution from the narrow inlet tube into the ionization/desolvation region is measured in terms of only a few microliters per minute. Under these circumstances, spraying becomes very easy by application of a high electrical potential of about 3-4 kV to the end of the nanotube. Similarly, spraying from any narrow capillary is also possible. The ions formed as part of the spraying process follow Z-shaped trajectories, as discussed below. 

Small Solvent molecules diffusing from the main ion beam 

Inlet tube from liquid chromatography nano column 

Inlet from a narrow capillary holding some of the analyte solution 

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The Z-spray inlet causes ions and neutrals to follow different paths after they have been formed from the electrically charged spray produced from a narrow inlet tube. The ions can be drawn into a mass analyzer after most of the solvent has evaporated away. The inlet derives its name from the Z-shaped trajectory taken by the ions, which ensures that there is little buildup of products on the narrow skimmer entrance into the mass spectrometer analyzer region. Consequently, in contrast to a conventional electrospray source, the skimmer does not need to be cleaned frequently and the sensitivity and performance of the instrument remain constant for long periods of time. 

The Z-trajectory ensures excellent separation of ions from neutral molecules at atmospheric pressure. In line-of-sight or conventional electrospray sources, the skimmer is soon blocked by ions and molecules sticking around the edges of the orifice. In Z-spray sources, the final skimmer, being set off to one side, is not subjected to this buildup of material. 

Utilization of both ion and neutral beams for such studies has been reported. Toennies [150] has performed measurements on the inelastic collision cross section for transitions between specified rotational states using a molecular beam apparatus. T1F molecules in the state (J, M) were separated out of a beam traversing an electrostatic four-pole field by virtue of the second-order Stark effect, and were directed into a noble-gas-filled scattering chamber. Molecules which were scattered by less than were then collected in a second four-pole field, and were analyzed for their final rotational state. The beam originated in an effusive oven source and was chopped to obtain a velocity resolution Avjv of about 7 %. The velocity change due to the inelastic encounters was about 0.3 %. Transition probabilities were calculated using time-dependent perturbation theory and the straight-line trajectory approximation. The interaction potential was taken to be purely attractive ... 

Fig. 11. Experimental ion fractions for random scattering direction for the Ag(l 10) (open dots) and Ag(lll) (full dots) surfaces. The lines labelled ion and neutral correspond to calculated Auger survival probabilities for two types of trajectories.

The Z-spray inlet/ionization source sends the ions on a different trajectory that resembles a flattened Z-shape (Figure 10.1b), hence the name Z-spray. The shape of the trajectory is controlled by the presence of a final skimmer set off to one side of the spray instead of being in-line. This configuration facilitates the transport of neutral species to the vacuum pumps, thus greatly reducing the buildup of deposits and blockages. 

Trajectories of desorbed ions (analyte matrix) and neutrals... 

Figure 2. Simplified picture of atom-atom collisional ionization with crossing distance r. Heavy solid lines represent trajectories of neutral systems. At the first crossing (r= rj some fraction (1 - PJ of trajectories make adiabatic transitions and are represented by dashed lines (ion pairs). Those making diabatic transitions remain neutral and continue their flight relatively unaffected. Each of these trajectories then encounters r = r<- again, and again each trajectory can make an adiabatic or diabatic transition, resulting in ion pairs or neutrals depending on the trajectory. The ultimate production of ions requires one transition to be diabatic and one to be adiabatic, in either order. The inner circle represents the repulsive core.

This question was addressed by use of classical trajectory techniques with an ion-quadrupole plus anisotropic polarizability potential to determine the collision rate constant (k ). Over one million trajectories with initial conditions covering a range of translational temperature, neutral rotor state, and isotopic composition were calculated. The results for the thermally average 300 K values for are listed in the last column of Table 3 and indicate that reaction (11) for H2/H2, D2/D2, and HD /HD proceeds at essentially the classical collision rate, whereas the reported experimental rates for H2/D2 and D2/H2 reactions seem to be in error as they are significantly larger than k. This conclusion raises two questions (1) If the symmetry restrictions outlined in Table 2 apply, how are they essentially completely overcome at 300 K (2) Do conditions exist where the restriction would give rise to observable kinetic effects ... 

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