Laser Ablation and Laser Desorption Techniques with Fourier-Transform Mass Spectrometry (FTMS)

Abstract

The advent of pulsed lasers has enabled a variety of experiments to be performed that had previously been impossible. In particular, the combination of lasers with mass spectrometers such as Time-Of-Flight (TOF) mass analyzers provides an experimental method for generating unusual species such as bare-metal clusters as well as desorbing large non-volatile biomolecules. One particular mass analyzer, a Fourier Transform ion cyclotron resonance Mass Spectrometer (FTMS), can easily be interfaced with lasers and has been demonstrated to be quite useful for these studies [6.1]. The extensive ion trapping and ion manipulation capabilities of FTMS can be used to examine the structures and reactivities of ions generated by the laser ablation and laser desorption processes. The focus of this chapter is not to extensively review the literature of laser applications with FTMS, but rather provide a broad overview of some of the types of experiments that can be performed with this technique. In particular, we will illustrate the basic principles of FTMS ion trapping and detection, and then focus on recent developments and applications of laser ablation FTMS for the study of cluster species and laser desorption FTMS for the examination of large biomolecules.