Abstract
Wolfgang Paul and coworkers at the University of Bonn, Germany, obtained a patent in 1954 for a 3D quadrupole ion trap, which consists of a ring electrode and two endcap electrodes. By applying a radiofrequency potential to the ring electrode, a quadrupole trapping field is produced in all three dimensions. Many other kinds of quadrupole ion traps exist, most notably the 2D linear ion trap with quadrupole potential in the radial plane and a DC field for axial trapping. The quadrupole ion trap is a remarkably versatile mass spectrometer that is capable of multiple stages of mass selection (tandem mass spectrometry), high sensitivity, and moderate mass resolution and mass range. In combination with electrospray ionization, the quadrupole ion trap is applied widely for the study of polar molecules such as peptides and proteins. In this article we describe the fundamentals of ion trap operation and review recent developments in ion trap miniaturization and hybrid instruments.
Published Version
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