Parent Ion Signal Research Articles

Enhancement of Portable Mass Spectrometer Sensitivity and Selectivity by a Qualitative Pre-Scan Waveform (QPSW)

While portability is a key aspect of small mass spectrometers, they also need to be able to effectively screen the analytes from complex matrices. The accuracy and performance of mass spectrometers depend not only on the identification of parent ion signals in targets but also fragment ion signals. This paper reports on the construction of a device that uses a new time-domain excitation waveform called qualitative pre-scan waveform (QPSW) for its quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry analyzer. This approach uses scanning to eliminate interfering ions, thus improving the sensitivity for the analyte and removing the cumbersome steps required to convert conventional stored waveform inverse Fourier transform (SWIFT) waveforms from the frequency domain to the time domain. Tests show that the target ions can be fragmented just by introducing air at the moment when the pinch valve is opened without any need for a carrier gas. This simplifies the equipment required, making the mass spectrometer more portable. Tests were undertaken to compare the performance with the use of conventional SWIFT waveforms and to optimize its experimental parameters so that the target ions were effectively accumulated in the ion trap. An approximate 5-fold improvement in sensitivity was achieved by QPSW compared to the SWIFT for 2 μg/mL ketamine. A 5-fold reduction in the limit of detection (LOD) to 20 ng/mL was also obtained for enrofloxacin. In addition, the stability was improved by QPSW with a relative standard deviation less than 13% compared to 16% for SWIFT.

Coherent phase control of internal conversion in pyrazine.

Shaped ultrafast laser pulses were used to study and control the ionization dynamics of electronically excited pyrazine in a pump and probe experiment. For pump pulses created without feedback from the product signal, the ion growth curve (the parent ion signal as a function of pump/probe delay) was described quantitatively by the classical rate equations for internal conversion of the S2 and S1 states. Very different, non-classical behavior was observed when a genetic algorithm (GA) employing phase-only modulation was used to minimize the ion signal at some pre-determined target time, T. Two qualitatively different control mechanisms were identified for early (T < 1.5 ps) and late (T > 1.5 ps) target times. In the former case, the ion signal was largely suppressed for t < T, while for t ≫ T, the ion signal produced by the GA-optimized pulse and a transform limited (TL) pulse coalesced. In contrast, for T > 1.5 ps, the ion growth curve followed the classical rate equations for t < T, while for t ≫ T, the quantum yield for the GA-optimized pulse was much smaller than for a TL pulse. We interpret the first type of behavior as an indication that the wave packet produced by the pump laser is localized in a region of the S2 potential energy surface where the vertical ionization energy exceeds the probe photon energy, whereas the second type of behavior may be described by a reduced absorption cross section for S0 → S2 followed by incoherent decay of the excited molecules. Amplitude modulation observed in the spectrum of the shaped pulse may have contributed to the control mechanism, although this possibility is mitigated by the very small focal volume of the probe laser.

Vacuum Ultraviolet Photon Ionization Mass Spectrometer for Detection of Dioxin Precursors

Waste incineration has been considered as a main source of dioxins. During the generation of dioxins, dioxin precursors, such as polychlorinated benzenes ( PCBz), polychlorinated phenols ( PCPh), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ( PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCBs) etc., have been proved to be produced with much higher concentrations than dioxins, which had been determined to be closely related to dioxin toxic equivalents. Therefore, online monitoring of these precursor compounds has been becoming one of the main research directions of dioxin detection. In this paper, we reported our attempt on developing a new method for online detection of these dioxin precursors in gas phase, by nanosecond vacuum ultraviolet single photon ionization technique, combined with time. of. flight mass spectrometer. This setup was evaluated by monitoring chlorobenzene, polychlorinated phenols and naphthalene in gas phase. In the range of 5-100 mu g/L, parent ion signal intensity of chlorobenzene exhibits linear dependence on the concentration.

Measurement of Ionic Resonances in Alkyl Phenyl Ketone Cations via Infrared Strong Field Mass Spectrometry

Strong-field excitation of alkyl phenyl ketone molecules reveals an electronic resonance at 1370 nm in the radical cations upon measuring mass spectra as a function of excitation wavelength from 1240 to 1550 nm. The ratio of the benzoyl fragment ion to parent ion signal in acetophenone increases from 1:1.5 at 1240 nm excitation to 5:1 at 1370 nm (0.9 eV), and back to 1:1 at 1450 nm. Unlike acetophenone and propiophenone, the homologous molecules acetone and ethylbenzene exhibit no wavelength-dependent fragmentation patterns over the range from 1240 to 1550 nm, supporting the hypothesis that the electronic structure of the alkyl phenyl ketone cation enables the one-photon transition. Calculations on the acetophenone and propiophenone radical cations show the existence of a bright state, D2, 0.87 and 0.88 eV, respectively, above the ground-state D0 minimum. Calculations of the potential energy surfaces of the acetophenone radical cation suggest that a D2 → D0 radiationless transition precedes dissociation on D0. Upon population transfer to the D2 surface, the wavepacket motion is directed toward a three-state conical intersection (D0/D1/D2) that facilitates the photodissociation by converting electronic to vibrational energy on the D0 surface.

Measurement of an Electronic Resonance in a Ground-State, Gas-Phase Acetophenone Cation via Strong-Field Mass Spectrometry.

A one-photon ionic resonance is measured in the strong-field regime in acetophenone by recording the mass spectra as a function of excitation wavelength from 800 to 1500 nm. The ratio of the benzoyl to parent ion signals in the mass spectrum varies significantly with excitation wavelength, where the highest ratio observed upon excitation at 1370 nm (0.90 eV) indicates the presence of a one-photon resonance. At the resonant wavelength, the ratio of the benzoyl to parent ion signals increases linearly with laser intensity over a range from 1.1 × 10(13) to 6.0 × 10(13) W cm(-2). The ratio increases by a factor of 5 at 1370 nm with increasing pulse duration from 60 to 100 fs. Calculations using the equation of motion coupled cluster method support the existence of a one-photon transition from the ground ionic to a dissociative excited ionic state (0.87 eV), where motion of the acetyl group from a planar to nonplanar structure within the pulse duration enables the otherwise forbidden transition.

High-Pressure Gas Phase Femtosecond Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometry

We describe a novel ion source for analytical mass spectrometry based on femtosecond laser ionization at pressures at and above atmospheric and characterize its performance when coupled to a tandem quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometer. We assess source saturation limits, ionization and sampling efficiencies, the effective ionization volume, and limits of detection. We demonstrate 100% efficient ionization for a set of organic compounds and show that the degree of ion fragmentation over a range of laser powers is favorable compared to electron impact ionization, especially in that a substantial parent ion signal is always observed. We show how collisional cooling plays a role in controlling fragmentation at high pressures and address how ion-molecule chemistry can be controlled or exploited. High-pressure femtosecond laser ionization will allow "universal" and efficient ionization, presenting a research direction that will broaden the options for gas phase analysis beyond the capabilities of electron impact ionization.

Ultrafast Dynamics Through Conical Intersections in 2,6-dimethylpyridine Studied with Time-resolved Photoelectron Imaging

The ultrafast dynamics through conical intersections in 2,6-dimethylpyridine has been studied by femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging coupled with time-resolved mass spectroscopy. Upon absorption of 266 nm pump laser, 2,6-dimethylpyridine is excited to the S2 state with a ππ* character from S0 state. The time evolution of the parent ion signals consists of two exponential decays. One is a fast component on a timescale of 635 fs and the other is a slow component with a timescale of 4.37 ps. Time-dependent photo-electron angular distributions and energy-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy are extracted from time-resolved photoelectron imaging and provide the evolutive information of S2 state. In brief, the ultrafast component is a population transfer from S2 to S1 through the S2/S1 conical intersections, the slow component is attributed to simultaneous IC from the S2 state and the higher vibrational levels of S1 state to S0 state, which involves the coupling of S2/S0 and S1/S0 conical intersections. Additionally, the observed ultrafast S2→S1 transition occurs only with an 18% branching ratio.

Brominated tyrosine and polyelectrolyte multilayer analysis by laser desorption vacuum ultraviolet postionization and secondary ion mass spectrometry.

The small molecular analyte 3,5-dibromotyrosine (Br(2)Y) and chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) with and without adsorbed Br(2)Y were analyzed by laser desorption postionization-mass spectrometry (LDPI-MS). LDPI-MS using a 7.87 eV laser and tunable 8-12.5 eV synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation found that desorption of clusters from Br(2)Y films allowed detection by ≤8 eV single photon ionization. Thermal desorption and electronic structure calculations determined the ionization energy of Br(2)Y to be ~8.3 ± 0.1 eV and further indicated that the lower ionization energies of clusters permitted their detection at ≤8 eV photon energies. However, single photon ionization could only detect Br(2)Y adsorbed within PEMs when using either higher photon energies or matrix addition to the sample. All samples were also analyzed by 25 keV Bi(3)(+) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), with the negative ion spectra showing strong parent ion signal which complemented that observed by LDPI-MS. However, the negative ion SIMS appeared strongly dependent on the high electron affinity of this specific analyte and the analyte's condensed phase environment.

Ultrafast Dynamics of the First Excited State of Chlorobenzene

Ultrafast dynamics of the first excited state (S-1) of chlorobenzene was studied using a combination of femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging and time-resolved mass spectroscopy. One-photon absorption at 266.7 nm was used to populate the S-1 state of chlorobenzene. The time evolution of the parent ion signals consists of different biexponential decays. One is a fast component on a timescale of (152 +/- 3) fs and the other is a slow component with a timescale of (749 +/- 21) ps. Time-resolved electron kinetic energies (eKE) and time-resolved photoelectron angular distributions (PADs) were extracted from time-resolved photoelectron imaging and are discussed in detail. The ultrafast process with a time constant of (152 +/- 3) fs is a population transfer within the S-1 state, and only a vibrational energy transfer process with strong coupling is a reasonable explanation. This is attributed to an ultrafast process of dissipative intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR). The lifetime of the S-1 state was determined to be (749 +/- 21) ps, and its deactivation was due to slow internal conversion to the ground state. Additionally, nonadiabatic alignment and rotational dephasing of the S-1 state of chlorobenzene, as a typical asymmetric top molecule, were observed. The first C-type and J-type recurrences are expected at delay time of 205.8 and 359.3 ps, respectively.

Laser Desorption Postionization Mass Spectrometry of Antibiotic-Treated Bacterial Biofilms Using Tunable Vacuum Ultraviolet Radiation

Laser desorption postionization mass spectrometry (LDPI-MS) with 8.0-12.5 eV vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron radiation is used to single photon ionize antibiotics and extracellular neutrals that are laser desorbed both from neat and intact bacterial biofilms. Neat antibiotics are optimally detected using 10.5 eV LDPI-MS but can be ionized using 8.0 eV radiation, in agreement with prior work using 7.87 eV LDPI-MS. Tunable vacuum ultraviolet radiation also postionizes laser desorbed neutrals of antibiotics and extracellular material from within intact bacterial biofilms. Different extracellular material is observed by LDPI-MS in response to rifampicin or trimethoprim antibiotic treatment. Once again, 10.5 eV LDPI-MS displays the optimum trade-off between improved sensitivity and minimum fragmentation. Higher energy photons at 12.5 eV produce significant parent ion signal, but fragment intensity and other low mass ions are also enhanced. No matrix is added to enhance desorption, which is performed at peak power densities insufficient to directly produce ions, thus allowing observation of true VUV postionization mass spectra of antibiotic treated biofilms.

Ultrafast energy redistribution in C60 fullerenes: A real time study by two-color femtosecond spectroscopy

Strong-field excitation and energy redistribution dynamics of C(60) fullerenes are studied by means of time-resolved mass spectrometry in a two-color femtosecond pump-probe setup. Resonant pre-excitation of the electronic system via the first dipole-allowed HOMO-->LUMO+1(t(1g)) (HOMO denotes highest occupied molecular orbital and LUMO denotes lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) transition with ultrashort 25 fs pulses at 399 nm of some 10(12) W cm(-2) results in a highly nonequilibrium distribution of excited electrons and vibrational modes in the neutral species. The subsequent coupling among the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom is monitored by probing the system with time-delayed 27 fs pulses at 797 nm of some 10(13) W cm(-2). Direct information on the characteristic relaxation time is derived from the analysis of transient singly and multiply charged parent and fragment ion signals as a function of pump-probe delay and laser pulse intensity. The observed relaxation times tau(el) approximately 60-400 fs are attributed to different microcanonical ensembles prepared in the pre-excitation process and correspond to different total energy contents and energy sharing between electronic and vibrational degrees. The characteristic differences and trends allow one to extract a consistent picture for the formation dynamics of ions in different charge states and their fullerenelike fragments and give evidence to collective effects in multiple ionization such as plasmon-enhanced energy deposition.

Valence photoionization and photofragmentation of aromatic amino acids

The valence photoelectron spectra of the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan and 3-methylindole in the gas phase have been investigated by soft X-ray radiation. The photoemission spectra of the outer valence regions are similar to previously reported He I spectra, although relative peak intensities are different due to the different photon energy. The spectral range has been extended to the inner valence region and new information has been obtained. The photofragmentation mass spectra of the aromatic amino acids were measured after ionization by noble gas resonance radiation at energies from 8.4 to 21.2 eV. The main peak in the mass spectra of phenylalanine corresponds to loss of the aromatic functional group, while for tyrosine and tryptophan it is due to the loss of the carboxylic and amino groups. Lower photon energies lead to ‘softer’ ionization, with reduced fragmentation and increased parent ion signal.

Ultrafast processes in OClO molecules excited by femtosecond laser pulses at 386–409nm

Ultrafast dissociation dynamics in OClO molecules is studied, induced by femtosecond laser pulses in the wavelength region from 386 to 409 nm, i.e., within the wide absorption band to the (approximately)A (2)A(2) electronic state. The decay of the initially excited state due to nonadiabatic coupling to the close lying (2)A(1) and (2)B(2) electronic states proceeds with a time constant increasing from 4.6 ps at 386 nm to 30 ps at 408.5 nm. Dissociation of the OClO molecule occurs after internal conversion within about 250 fs. In addition, a minor channel of direct excitation of the (2)A(1) electronic state has been identified, the lifetime of which increases from a few 100 fs at 386 nm to 2.2 ps at 408.5 nm. Simultaneous excitation of two neighboring vibrational bands in the (approximately)A (2)A(2) state leads to a coherent oscillation of the parent ion signal with the frequency difference of both modes.

Identification and Characterization of Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin N-Glycans Mediating Cross-reactivity with Schistosoma mansoni

Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) of the mollusc Megathura crenulata is known to serologically cross-react with Schistosoma mansoni glycoconjugates in a carbohydrate-dependent manner. To elucidate the structural basis for this cross-reactivity, KLH glycans were released from tryptic glycopeptides and fluorescently labeled. Cross-reacting glycans were identified using a polyclonal antiserum reacting with soluble S. mansoni egg antigens, isolated by a three-dimensional fractionation scheme and analyzed by different mass spectrometric techniques as well as linkage analysis and exoglycosidase treatment. The results revealed that cross-reacting species comprise approximately 4.5% of released glycans. They all represent novel types of N-glycans with a Fuc(alpha1-3)GalNAc(beta1-4)[Fuc(alpha1-3)]GlcNAc motif, which is known to occur also in schistosomal glycoconjugates. The tetrasaccharide unit is attached to the 3-linked antenna of a trimannosyl core, which can be further decorated by galactosyl residues, a xylose residue in 2-position of the central mannose and/or a fucose at the innermost N-acetylglucosamine. This study provides for the first time detailed structural data on the KLH carbohydrate entities responsible for cross-reactivity with glycoconjugates from S. mansoni.

Electron impact ionization of glycolaldehyde

Positive ion formation upon electron impact ionization of the monomeric and dimeric form of glycolaldehyde is studied with high electron energy resolution. In the effusive neutral beam of evaporated monomeric glycolaldehyde some ions with a mass larger than the monomer indicate the presence of weakly bound neutral dimers. The yield of all ions that originate from the electron impact ionization of these neutral dimers exhibit a strong temperature dependence that can be interpreted as being due to the formation of dimers via three body collisions and thermal decomposition of the dimeric form back into monomers at higher temperatures. Ion efficiency curves are measured and analyzed for the 10 most abundant product cations of monomeric glycolaldehyde. The appearance energies of the parent ion signals of the monomer and dimer of glycolaldehyde (10.2 and 9.51 eV, respectively) are lower than the appearance energy of the parent cation of the more complex sugar deoxyribose that was recently determined to be 10.51 eV.

Binding Energy and Intermolecular Vibrations of Neutral and Ionized p-Fluorotoluene·Ar Cluster by Mass Analyzed Threshold Ionization

The binding energies in the neutral and ionic ground states of the p-fluorotoluene·Ar (pFT·Ar) van der Waals complex have been measured by the use of the mass analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) technique. The breakdown of the parent ion signal and the simultaneous detection of threshold ions at the fragment mass when the internal energy of the threshold cluster ion is increased above the dissociation limit are used as a probe for determining the cluster binding energy. The necessary density of vibrational bands in the vicinity of the dissociation threshold is achieved by excitation via the 9b10 band in a resonance enhanced two-photon excitation process. We find a strong Franck−Condon activity of the asymmetric bending vibrations pointing to a geometrical change of the Ar position along the long (x) molecular axis because of a charge shift along this axis after ionization.

Ultrafast temporary charge transfer in pyrrolidinyl-benzonitrile and pyrrolyl-benzonitrile in the gas phase.

4-(N-pyrrolidinyl)benzonitrile and 4-(N-pyrrolyl)benzonitrile were excited by an ultrashort pulse at 270 nm to their La (S2) states and then probed by ionization at long wavelengths. Parent and fragment ion signals show components with time constants < 100 fs which we attribute to ultrafast relaxation to the Lb (S1) state. From this short time we infer a conical intersection between the Lb and La surfaces. The wave packet can branch there, one part going temporarily to a strongly displaced state. Its shift was concluded from an anisotropy observed only there. The only excited state known to have a large displacement is the charge-transfer (CT) state. The positive anisotropy indicates that the CT state belongs to the 2A species for both molecules. For pyrrolylbenzonitrile, this is in contrast to previous assignments. The anisotropy, and a coherent oscillation observed in pyrrolidinylbenzonitrile, support the idea that the amino-group twist is an important component of the CT reaction coordinate.

Infrared laser ablation and ionization of water clusters and biomolecules from ice

We demonstrate the direct desorption and ionization of angiotensin II from frozen water ice samples without supplementary matrix, using a pulse train of approximately 340 intense (∼10 9 W/cm 2) picosecond pulses from a tunable, mid-infrared free-electron laser, at a wavelength of 5.9 μm. The pulse train was delivered at equally spaced intervals over a total duration of 120 ns. Ions thus formed were detected using a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Single-shot ablation at spatially separated locations on the ice surface produced parent ions as well as Na and K adducts. Multiple pulse impact at a single location on the ice generated the parent ion signal and also protonated water clusters of the form (H 2O) n−1 H 3O +. Investigations of clusters produced by infrared laser ablation of frozen trifluoroacetic acid solution support a mechanism involving electrostatic ejection of pre-formed ions.

Multiphoton dissociation/ionisation of dimethyl sulfide

AbstractMultiphoton dissociation/ionisation studies have been carried out at 355 nm for dimethyl disulfide (CH3SSCH3) using a time‐of‐flight‐mass spectrometer. The prominent ion signals observed are CH3+, S+, HCS+ and S2+. No evidence for the formation of a parent ion signal was observed. The laser power variation experiments show a two‐photon dependence for the most prominent HCS+ ion. The presence of a signal at m/e 30 is explained in terms of concerted elimination of ethane from the excited neutral CH3SSCH3 via a cyclic transition state. It is inferred that the multiphoton dissociation of CH3SSCH3 at 355 nm involves both S‐S and C‐S bond cleavage. Based on these results, it has been suggested that CH3S+ isomerises to CH2SH+, which undergoes unimolecular decay to produce HCS+ by H2 elimination. The results have been interpreted in terms of the dissociation of the parent molecule using two photons, followed by the ionisation of the fragments. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Quantitative detection of aromatic compounds in single aerosol particle mass spectrometry.

Most laser-based aerosol mass spectrometers rely on a single ultraviolet laser to both ablate and ionize the aerosol particle. This technique produces complex and fragmented mass spectra, especially for organic compounds. The approach presented here achieves a more robust and quantitative analysis using a CO2 laser to evaporate the aerosol particle and a vacuum ultraviolet laser to ionize the vapor plume. Vacuum ultraviolet laser ionization produces little fragmentation in the mass spectra, making the identification of an aerosol particle's constituents more straightforward. An analysis of simple, three-component mixtures of aniline, benzyl alcohol, and m-nitrotoluene shows that the technique also provides a quantitative analysis for all the components of the mixture. Furthermore, the detection of predominantly parent ion signal from anthracene particles demonstrates the utility of the technique in the analysis of lower vapor pressure, solid-phase aerosols. Finally, we discuss the potential and limitations of this technique in analyzing organic atmospheric aerosols.