Electrospray Ionization Spectra Research Articles

Two-Dimensional Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization.

Two-dimensional Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (2D FTICR) mass spectrometry is a developing form of data-independent acquisition that allows for the simultaneous fragmentation and correlation of fragment ions to their precursors across a range of m/z values. The modern usage of 2D FTICR is performed using electrospray ionization (ESI) as the dried droplet preparation for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) does not produce a consistent packet of ions over a number of scans. This work uses pneumatic spray techniques from mass spectrometry imaging to create a homogeneous surface for use with MALDI as an ionization source for 2D FTICR. A mixture of peptides and matrix was deposited onto a glass slide using an HTX pneumatic sprayer. MALDI was then used to ionize the peptide mixture for use with a standard 2D FTICR pulse sequence. The generated 2D spectrum reveals comparable structural information to spectra collected in a 1D experiment. Artifacts observed in the collected 2D MALDI spectra do not significantly differ from those expected from 2D ESI spectra.

Nontargeted screening based on EI-MS spectra using statistical methods: An investigative study of synthetic indole/indazole cannabinoids.

Mass spectrometry has evolved into a highly powerful tool for qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses. However, the identification of trace amounts of previously unknown structures in complex chemical matrix environments remains challenging. The rapid emergence of new synthetic cannabinoid substances is a typical example of this. Existing laboratory techniques are mostly based on methods used for lists of known illegal compounds. This situation poses a challenge to traditional data analysis and the risk of missing the compounds. Therefore, we propose to develop and validate a statistical model to classify newly emerging synthetic cannabinoid substances into a structural class or subclass. We obtained 70 electrospray ionization spectra of indole/indazole synthetic cannabinoids from both the actual standard analysis and the SWGDRUG mass spectral library (version 3.10). Each sample consisted of 330 m/z variables and corresponding relative intensities. We first cleared the variables with a variance below 0.1. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the variance-filtered data, and the two principal components were retained to generate new data for hierarchical clustering. After hierarchical clustering, we used the receiver operating characteristic method in this cluster. Seventy synthetic indole/indazole cannabinoids were classified into four clusters. The side chain of cluster 1 is mainly fluorobenzyl, cluster 2 is pentyl, cluster 3 includes compounds from several structures, and cluster 4 is mainly fluoropentyl. The most relevant characteristic ions are m/z 109, m/z 252, and m/z 253 for cluster 1; m/z 144 and m/z 214 for cluster 2; and m/z 232 and m/z 233 for cluster 4. This study provides a more objective and less time-consuming solution for characterizing synthetic cannabinoids. And this work validates the ability of PCA to extract characteristic fragment ions.

Multidimensional Mass Spectrometry Assisted Metallo-Supramolecular Chemistry

Multidimensional Mass Spectrometry Assisted Metallo-Supramolecular Chemistry

Stability Indicating LC-MS Method Development and Validation for the Study of the Forced Degradation Behavior of Pimobendan Drug

Objectives: Analytical methods are necessary for the field of pharmaceuticals to discover the drug, determination of drugs and metabolites in biological matrices. The present study aimed to develop liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and validation for quantification of Pimobendan in the formulation. Methods: The mobile phase composition was methanol, acetonitrile and 0.1 M phosphate buffers in the ratio of 45:15:40 (v/v) mixtures with isocratic elution. Prontosil ODS C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5μ) was selected for separation with 264nm of LC UV detector wavelength. Ionization mass spectrophotometer was analyzed at nitrogen gas flow at 300 Psi and 300°C of source temperature. Mass spectrometry analysis of Pimobendan drug fragments was performed by introducing column eluting into equipment for Q1 and MS scan. Results: The drug was eluted at 3.56 min retention and the calibration curve was achieved at 0.5-250 μg/ml standard concentration. Different parameters of validation (linearity, specificity, precision, accuracy, selectivity and robustness) were performed and results confirm that all the parameters are in the acceptable limit. In the electrospray ionization spectra of Pimobendan [M+H], positive ions were observed at an m/z value of 335.42. The product-ions of 335.42 were observed at m/z value of 319.18, 287.19, 277.09, 261.08, 250.16, 223.30, 111.47 and 86.05. Conclusion: The proposed method is successfully achieved the acceptance criteria of all validation parameters and stability studies.

Soft cluster-induced desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: How soft is soft?

Desorption/ionization induced by neutral clusters (DINeC) is used as an ultrasoft desorption/ionization method for the analysis of fragile biomolecules by means of mass spectrometry (MS). As a test molecule, the glycopeptide vancomycin was measured with DINeC-MS, and resulting mass spectra were compared to the results obtained with electrospray ionization (ESI), matrix assisted laser desorption ionization, and time-of-flight secondary ion MS. Of the desorption-based techniques, DINeC spectra show the lowest abundance of fragments comparable to ESI spectra. The soft desorption nature of DINeC was further demonstrated when applied to MS analysis of teicoplanin.

Laser Desorption/Ionization Coupled to FTICR Mass Spectrometry for Studies of Natural Organic Matter.

Laser desorption/ionization (LDI) was investigated as an ionization method for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) studies of natural organic matter (NOM). Using International Humic Substances Society standards, Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) and Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM), LDI was found to ionize a very similar set of compounds (>90% of molecular formulas identity) to the matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), while producing higher quality spectra. A comparison of electrospray ionization (ESI) and LDI spectra showed that different types of compounds are ionized by these methods with only 9.9% of molecular formulas common to both. The compounds ionized by LDI/MALDI belong to low oxygen classes (maximum number of species for O7-O9), while ESI compounds belong to higher oxygen classes (maximum number of species for O14-O16). Compounds ionized by LDI can be classified as aliphatic, aromatic, and condensed aromatics in approximately equal measure, while aliphatic compounds dominated the ESI spectra of SRFA. In order to maximize the coverage of molecular species, LDI, as a particularly convenient and readily deployable ionization method, should be used routinely in combination with other ionization methods, such as ESI, for FTICR MS studies of NOM.

Comparison of Internal Energy Distributions of Ions Created by Electrospray Ionization and Laser Ablation-Liquid Vortex Capture/Electrospray Ionization.

Recently a number of techniques have combined laser ablation with liquid capture for mass spectrometry spot sampling and imaging applications. The newly developed noncontact liquid-vortex capture probe has been used to efficiently collect material ablated by a 355 nm UV laser in a continuous flow solvent stream in which the captured material dissolves and then undergoes electrospray ionization. This sampling and ionization approach has produced what appears to be classic electrospray ionization spectra; however, the 'softness' of this sampling/ionization process versus simple electrospray ionization has not been definitely determined. In this work, a series of benzylpyridinium salts were employed as thermometer ions to compare internal energy distributions between electrospray ionization and the UV laser ablation/liquid-vortex capture probe electrospray combination. Measured internal energy distributions were identical between the two techniques, even with differences in laser fluence (0.7-3.1 J cm(-2)) and when using UV-absorbing or non-UV-absorbing sample substrates. These data, along with results from the analysis the biological molecules bradykinin and angiotensin III indicated that the ions or their fragments formed directly by UV laser ablation that survive the liquid capture/electrospray ionization process were likely to be an extremely small component of the total ion signal observed. Instead, the preponderate neutral molecules, clusters, and particulates ejected from the surface during laser ablation, subsequently captured and dissolved in the flowing solvent stream, then electrosprayed, were the principal source of the ion signal observed. Thus, the electrospray ionization process used controls the overall 'softness' of this technique.

Assessment of the various ionization methods in the analysis of metal salen complexes by mass spectrometry.

Metal salen complexes are one of the most frequently used catalysts in enantioselective organic synthesis. In the present work, we compare a series of ionization methods that can be used for the mass spectral analysis of two types of metalosalens: ionic complexes (abbreviated as Com(+)X(-)) and neutral complexes (NCom). These methods include electron ionization and field desorption (FD) which can be applied to pure samples and atmospheric pressure ionization techniques: electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) which are suitable for solutions. We found that FD is a method of choice for recording molecular ions of the complexes containing even loosely bonded ligands. The results obtained using atmospheric pressure ionization methods show that the results depend mainly on the structure of metal salen complex and the ionization method. In ESI spectra, Com(+) ions were observed, while in APCI and APPI spectra both Com(+) and [Com + H](+) ions are observed in the ratio depending on the structure of the metal salen complex and the solvent used in the analysis. For complexes with tetrafluoroborate counterion, an elimination of BF3 took place, and ions corresponding to complexes with fluoride counterion were observed. Experiments comparing the relative sensitivity of ESI, APCI and APPI (with and without a dopant) methods showed that for the majority of the studied complexes ESI is the most sensitive one; however, the sensitivity of APCI is usually less than two times lower and for some compounds is even higher than the sensitivity of ESI. Both methods show very high linearity of the calibration curve in a range of about 3 orders of magnitude of the sample concentration.

Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Intact Proteins Larger than 100 kDa

Effectively determining masses of proteins is critical to many biological studies (e.g. for structural biology investigations). Accurate mass determination allows one to evaluate the correctness of protein primary sequences, the presence of mutations and/or post-translational modifications, the possible protein degradation, the sample homogeneity, and the degree of isotope incorporation in case of labelling (e.g. 13C labelling).Electrospray ionisation (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) is widely used for mass determination of denatured proteins, but its efficiency is affected by the composition of the sample buffer. In particular, the presence of salts, detergents, and contaminants severely undermines the effectiveness of protein analysis by ESI-MS. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MS is an attractive alternative, due to its salt tolerance and the simplicity of data acquisition and interpretation. Moreover, the mass determination of large heterogeneous proteins (bigger than 100 kDa) is easier by MALDI-MS due to the absence of overlapping high charge state distributions which are present in ESI spectra.Here we present an accessible approach for analysing proteins larger than 100 kDa by MALDI-time of flight (TOF). We illustrate the advantages of using a mixture of two matrices (i.e. 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid) and the utility of the thin layer method as approach for sample deposition. We also discuss the critical role of the matrix and solvent purity, of the standards used for calibration, of the laser energy, and of the acquisition time. Overall, we provide information necessary to a novice for analysing intact proteins larger than 100 kDa by MALDI-MS.

Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Intact Proteins Larger than 100 kDa

Effectively determining masses of proteins is critical to many biological studies (e.g. for structural biology investigations). Accurate mass determination allows one to evaluate the correctness of protein primary sequences, the presence of mutations and/or post-translational modifications, the possible protein degradation, the sample homogeneity, and the degree of isotope incorporation in case of labelling (e.g. 13C labelling). Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) is widely used for mass determination of denatured proteins, but its efficiency is affected by the composition of the sample buffer. In particular, the presence of salts, detergents, and contaminants severely undermines the effectiveness of protein analysis by ESI-MS. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MS is an attractive alternative, due to its salt tolerance and the simplicity of data acquisition and interpretation. Moreover, the mass determination of large heterogeneous proteins (bigger than 100 kDa) is easier by MALDI-MS due to the absence of overlapping high charge state distributions which are present in ESI spectra. Here we present an accessible approach for analyzing proteins larger than 100 kDa by MALDI-time of flight (TOF). We illustrate the advantages of using a mixture of two matrices (i.e. 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid) and the utility of the thin layer method as approach for sample deposition. We also discuss the critical role of the matrix and solvent purity, of the standards used for calibration, of the laser energy, and of the acquisition time. Overall, we provide information necessary to a novice for analyzing intact proteins larger than 100 kDa by MALDI-MS.

Physico-chemical properties and nanoscale morphology in N-alkyl-N-methylmorpholinium dicyanamide room temperature ionic liquids

A series of new room temperature ionic liquids based on N-alkyl-N-methylmorpholinium cations (the alkyl chain ranging from ethyl to nonyl) and a hydrophilic anion (dicyanamide), a mostly unexplored class of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), has been synthesized and characterized. Selected physico-chemical properties (density, viscosity and ionic conductivity) have been measured and the salts' propensity to organize into ionic clusters has been explored. The inspection of their Walden plots and electrospray ionization spectra strongly prompts for the occurrence of clustering phenomena, especially for salts bearing long alkyl chains. This structural organization has been confirmed using X-ray scattering techniques and the existence of a high degree of intermediate range order has been detected, as fingerprinted by distinct diffraction features at low Q. These evidences are rationalized in terms of a structural model where, similarly to other RTILs, the alkyl chains tend to segregate from the charged moieties.

Ultra Pressure Liquid Chromatography–Negative Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Determination of Twelve Halobenzoquinones at ng/L Levels in Drinking Water

We report here the characterization of twelve halobenzoquinones (HBQs) using electrospray ionization (ESI) high resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The high resolution negative ESI spectra of the twelve HBQs formed two parent ions, [M + H(+) + 2e(-)], and the radical M(-•). The intensities of these two parent ions are dependent on their chemical structures and on instrumental parameters such as the source temperature and flow rate. The characteristic ions of the HBQs were used to develop an ultra pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. At the UPLC flow rate (400 μL/min) and under the optimized ESI conditions, eleven HBQs showed the stable and abundant transitions [M + H(+) + 2e(-)] → X(-) (X(-) representing Cl(-), Br(-), or I(-)), while dibromo-dimethyl-benzoquinone (DBDMBQ) showed only the transition of M(-•) → Br(-). The UPLC efficiently separates all HBQs including some HBQ isomers, while the MS/MS offers exquisite limits of detection (LODs) at subng/mL levels for all HBQs except DBDMBQ. Combined with solid phase extraction (SPE), the method LOD is down to ng/L. The results from analysis of authentic samples demonstrated that the SPE-UPLC-MS/MS method is reliable, fast, and sensitive for the identification and quantification of the twelve HBQs in drinking water.

Fractal dimension in mass spectra from herbal extracts: Hypothesis for a new method of phytocomplex characterization

In order to explore new possibilities to optimize the quality control of herbal products, a non-conventional method of analysis of complex systems, the fractal analysis, applied to ElectroSpray Ionisation (ESI) mass spectrometry, was evaluated. The ESI spectra obtained with herbal commercial products were converted into bitmap images and submitted to fractal analysis using the so-called “box counting” method. The fractal dimension (D B ) so obtained permitted to classify single plant extracts. Also the ESI spectrum obtained with a mixture of plant extracts contained in a commercial herbal product provided a fractal pattern; statistical analysis on several replicates obtained with different batches indicated that D B tends to display a normal distribution around a mean value, which might be suggested as a typical reference for that product. D B of ESI spectra of plant extracts which underwent thermal treatment indicates that this measure maybe useful also to evaluate the changes occurring with aging of the product. In conclusion, D B might be proposed as a new promising technique of investigation to be used, coupled to mass spectrometry, as a summary measurement of complexity of the overall phytochemical composition and stability of a herbal product.  2013 Trade Science Inc. - INDIA Full Paper

Accurate mass and nuclear magnetic resonance identification of bisphenolic can coating migrants and their interference with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric analysis of bisphenol A

Two unknown compounds were previously determined to be potential interferences in liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis of bisphenol A (BPA) in canned infant formula. Both yielded two identical MS/MS transitions to BPA. The identities of the unknowns were investigated using accurate mass LC/MS, LC/MS/MS, and elemental formula and structures proposed. Exact identities were confirmed through purification or synthesis followed by (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, as well as comparisons of one unknown with commercial standards. Comparisons of negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) MS/MS and accurate mass spectra suggested both unknowns to be structurally identical (to BPA and each other). Positive ion ESI spectra confirmed both were larger molecules, suggesting that in the negative mode they likely fragmented to the deprotonated BPA ion in the source [corrected]. Elemental composition of positive ion accurate mass spectra and NMR analysis concluded the unknowns were oxidized forms of the known epoxy can coating monomer, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE). One of the unknowns, 2,2-[bis-4-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)phenyl]propane, commonly known as BADGE*2H(2)O, is widely reported as an epoxy-phenolic can coating migrant, but has not been suggested to interfere with the MS/MS analysis of BPA. The other unknown, 2-[4-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)phenyl]-2-[4'-hydroxyphenyl]propane, or the oxidized form of bisphenol A monoglycidyl ether (BAMGE*H(2)O), has not been previously reported in food or packaging.

Some Thoughts on Electrospray Ionization Mechanisms

Electrospray ionization (ESI) mechanisms are highly complex, due to a series of physical and chemical phenomena taking place on a complex system, as a solution is. In fact, even if the solution of an analyte in a protic medium can be considered at first sight to be a two-component system, the presence of solvent dissociation equilibria and the possible interactions solvent-solvent dissociation products, solvent dissociation products-analyte make this system highly complex, also for the presence of possible ionic compounds (for example, Na(+), K(+)) which strongly affect the above equilibria. A high number of research articles have been published, mainly devoted to charged droplet production and to gas-phase ion generation. They all show the high complexity of the processes affecting electrospray measurements related to either the chemical equilibria present in the condensed phase and to electrolysis processes at the emitter tip or to the processes occurring in the sprayed droplets. As a result, the chemical composition inside the small droplets from which the analyte ions are generated can be significantly different from those in sprayed solution. In this review, after a short survey of the proposed ESI mechanisms, some experiments are described. They were performed to examine if ion mobility in solution, before the formation of the sprayed charged droplets, can affect the ESI results. The data, obtained by studying both inorganic and organic analytes, indicate that the ESI spectra are dependent on the analyte dimension and charge state which, as a consequence, affect their ion mobility in solution.

ESIprot: a universal tool for charge state determination and molecular weight calculation of proteins from electrospray ionization mass spectrometry data

Electrospray ionization (ESI) ion trap mass spectrometers with relatively low resolution are frequently used for the analysis of natural products and peptides. Although ESI spectra of multiply charged protein molecules also can be measured on this type of devices, only average spectra are produced for the majority of naturally occurring proteins. Evaluating such ESI protein spectra would provide valuable information about the native state of investigated proteins. However, no suitable and freely available software could be found which allows the charge state determination and molecular weight calculation of single proteins from average ESI-MS data. Therefore, an algorithm based on standard deviation optimization (scatter minimization) was implemented for the analysis of protein ESI-MS data. The resulting software ESIprot was tested with ESI-MS data of six intact reference proteins between 12.4 and 66.7 kDa. In all cases, the correct charge states could be determined. The obtained absolute mass errors were in a range between -0.2 and 1.2 Da, the relative errors below 30 ppm. The possible mass accuracy allows for valid conclusions about the actual condition of proteins. Moreover, the ESIprot algorithm demonstrates an extraordinary robustness and allows spectral interpretation from as little as two peaks, given sufficient quality of the provided m/z data, without the necessity for peak intensity data. ESIprot is independent from the raw data format and the computer platform, making it a versatile tool for mass spectrometrists. The program code was released under the open-source GPLv3 license to support future developments of mass spectrometry software.

Electrolyte-Induced Ionization Suppression and Microcystin Toxins: Ammonium Formate Suppresses Sodium Replacement Ions and Enhances Protiated and Ammoniated Ions for Improved Specificity in Quantitative LC-MS-MS

This study examines the effects of electrolytes on microcystin (MC) electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry and quantitative LC-MS-MS. Sodium replacement ions (SRI) are prominent in MC ESI spectra in protic solvents such as HPLC grade methanol. In a methanol-water-0.006% acetic acid (v/v) gradient, envelopes with up to 11 SRI were apparent in both the +1 and +2 charge states with structures [M + Na(x) - (x-1)H](+) and [M + Na(x) - (x-2)H](+2). The m/z 135 product ion, [Ø-CH(2)-CH=O-CH(3)](+), widely used in tandem LC-MS-MS determination of MC, is a low collision energy fragment of many doubly charged MC precursor ions (e.g., [M+Na+H](+2), [M+Na+NH(4)](+2), M+Na+H+CH(3)OH](+2), [M+2H](+2)). These phenomena impair congener-specific LC-MS-MS detection of MC and degrade quantitative accuracy and precision. Pulse addition experiments established that ammonium formate (AF) strongly suppresses SRI in both +1 and +2 charge states and enhances MH(+) and MNH(4)(+) adducts in neutral MC. Addition of the buffer either post-column or by incorporation in the mobile phase increases specificity for all of the MC which were determined as the MNH(4)(+) > MH(+) and MH(+) > [MH - 134](+) transitions for neutral MC (MCLA, MCLF, MCLW) and [M+2H](+2) > 135(+) and [M+2H](+2) > [M+2H - 135](+) transitions for arginine-containing MC (MCLR, MCYR, MCRR). These findings shed light on mechanisms of electrolyte-induced ionization suppression, and demonstrate beneficial use of a buffer electrolyte for improved specificity and analytical ruggedness in quantitative LC-MS-MS.

Compounds with the Electron-Rich [W6Cl18]2− Cluster Anion

Cluster compounds of the general formula A(2)[W(6)Cl(18)] containing singly charged A cations (A = K, Rb, Ag, Tl, NH(4), N(C(2)H(5))(4), N(n-C(3)N(7))(4), N(n-C(4)H(9))(4)) and [W(6)Cl(18)](2-) anions have been synthesized. Compounds were obtained by W(6)Cl(18) reduction using methanol and the corresponding metal or (alkyl-)ammonium salts. The use of CoCp(2) as reducing agent in inert solvents such as tetrahydrofurane also leads to the ionic compound (Co(C(5)H(5))(2))(2)[W(6)Cl(18)]. All compounds described here evidence the existence of octahedral clusters of the M(6)X(12) type with 20 cluster electrons occupying metal centered states, thus exceeding the conventional number of 16 electrons for this cluster type. Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectra were recorded for the neutral compound W(6)Cl(18) and for the ionic salts K(2)[W(6)Cl(18)], Cs(2)[W(6)Cl(18)], and (Co(C(5)H(5))(2))(2)[W(6)Cl(18)], showing that the cluster W(6)Cl(18) unit in these compounds is preserved in solution. The base peak in the ESI spectra for all compounds corresponds to the [W(6)Cl(18)](2-) anion, so that neutral W(6)Cl(18) is prone to undergo a two electron reduction process. This result is confirmed by cyclic voltammetry experiments, which makes of W(6)Cl(18) a very clean mild oxidizing agent. The preparation of the complete series of ionic A(2)[W(6)Cl(18)] (A = K, Cs, CoCp(2)) clusters allows to systematically investigate their structural trends as function of the distinctive cations, which is the main focus of the present work.

Redox reactions of copper(II) upon electrospray ionization in the presence of acridine ligands with an amide side chain

AbstractThe complexation of copper(II) to acridine derivatives has been studied by means of electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Under soft conditions of ionization, the ESI mass spectra of methanolic solutions of copper(II) chloride and the acridine ligands show abundant signals of the mononuclear complexes formed from the metal and ligand. Depending on the position of the N‐benzoylamino substituent in the acridinic heterocycle, however, the copper atom involved in the complexation process adopts different oxidation states in the resulting cations. Hence, the metal is reduced to copper(I) in the monocationic complex with the compound substituted in position 2, whereas it keeps its divalent state in the monocation formed with the compound substituted in position 4. As a consequence, the regioisomers lead to monocations with different masses in the ESI spectra. In order to understand this unusual behavior of two isomeric compounds, additional experiments have been performed with quinoline as a model. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A non‐covalent dimer formed in electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry behaving as a precursor for fragmentations

A non-covalent-bonded dimer was detected in the positive ion electrospray ionisation (ESI) mass spectra of a synthetic impurity. In tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) experiments using collision-induced dissociation (CID), the ion was found to behave as a [M+H]+-type precursor ion for fragmentation until MS5. The dimer was probably formed through multi-hydrogen bonds over a proton bridge. When the fragmentation occurred at the center of the bridge, the dimer was broken apart to give monomer fragments at MS6. However, no corresponding deprotonated dimer [2M-H]- was found in the negative ion ESI spectra. The dimer was extremely stable, and it could still be observed when a fragmentation voltage of up to 50 V was applied in the ionisation source. The formation of the non-covalent dimer was also found to be instrument-dependent, but independent of sample concentration. Accurate mass measurements of the [2M+H]+ and [M+H]+ ions, and their MSn product ions, provided the basis for assessing the fragmentation mechanism proposed for [2M+H]+. The fragmentation pathway was also illustrated for the deprotonated molecule [M-H]-.