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Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 1.9 Chemische und optische Sensorik (3) (entfernen)
The development and enhancement of new ionization techniques for mass spectrometry often needs to be custom-tailored for specific sampling approaches. Here, a direct sampling ionization technique is presented for ambient mass spectrometry. Ambient mass spectrometry based techniques are typically used to analyze samples in their native states without sample pretreatment. This new design is based on a quasi-continuous airborne plasma which is ignited inside the particulate air via a focused laser irradiation. Desorption and ionization of the analyte molecules are achieved by the laser plasma without reaching the plasma. The ionization process is induced by interaction with nascent ionic fragments, electrons and ultraviolet photons in the plasma vicinity. Previously, this method was solely used for the characterization of solid and gaseous analytes. The sample introduction was occurred via thermal desorption and headspace analysis. This study focuses on the potential applicability of liquid samples. In comparison to previous approaches, the usage of liquid samples has an impact on the stability of typically used plasma of 532 nm. It was necessary to realize an alternative plasma using light of the fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm. That new plasma resulted in a significant more stable and bright plasma and the first laser plasma ionization spectrum was recorded for an analyte in the condensed phase with a mass spectrometer of type LCQ DecaXP.
The development and improvement of new ionization techniques for mass spectrometry often requires dedicated, specific sampling approaches. Recently, a novel ionization scheme for ambient MS has been introduced based on a quasi-continuous laser-induced plasma, which was ignited directly before the MS inlet. This setup combines the general advantages of ambient ionization, provides electro neutrality, sufficient duty cycle and a ubiquitous plasma medium.
A high repetition rate DPSS laser (Conqueror 3-LAMBDA, Nd:YVO4, 1 - 500 kHz, average output power: 12 W at 50 kHz, Compact Laser Solutions GmbH, Germany) and the corresponding optomechanical system were installed on an optical breadboard above the inlet of a LCQ DecaXP ion trap mass spectrometer. The quasi-continuous airborne plasma was ignited inside the sprayed sample in front of the inlet via focused laser irradiation.
The introduction of liquid samples into laser-induced plasmas requires higher plasma power during solvent evaporation as compared to gaseous samples. This increased demand was approached via a two-fold strategy: Firstly, an alternative, more powerful, laser plasma driven by the fundamental instead of the second harmonic wavelength was implemented, which provided a 10-fold increase of signal intensity, while maintaining the same reagent ion pattern as the previous plasma. Protonated water clusters [(H2O]nH]+, NH4+ as well as charge transfer promoting ion O2+, dominated the reagent ion mass spectrum. Secondly, a miniaturized nebulizer was used to minimize the size of the plasma quenching solvent droplets. The result of these improvements was a new and very stable ion source for direct microfluidic coupling. A variety of samples demonstrated the performance of the ion source.
A laser-driven plasma was shown to be a powerful ion source for gaseous and solid samples. For the first time, liquid samples were examined using the novel source. In addition to demonstrating an improved strategy for igniting the laser plasma, this contribution also covers the miniaturization of the spray source for enhanced ionization, while minimizing sample consumption via a microfluidic spray systems.
An airborne high repetition rate laser-induced plasma was applied as a versatile ambient ionization source for mass-spectrometric determinations of polar and nonpolar analytes in solution. The laser plasma was sustained between a home-built pneumatic nebulizer and the inlet capillary of an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. To maintain stable conditions in the droplet-rich spray environment, the plasma was directly fed by the fundamental output (λ = 1064 nm) of a current state-of-the-art diode-pumped solid-state laser. Ionization by the laser-driven plasma resulted in signals of intact analyte ions of several chemical categories. The analyte ions were found to be fully desolvated since no further increase in ion signal was observed upon heating of the inlet capillary. Due to the electroneutrality of the plasma, both positive and negative analyte ions could be formed simultaneously without altering the operational parameters of the ion source. While, typically, polar analytes with pronounced gas phase basicities worked best, nonpolar and amphoteric compounds were also detected. The latter were detected with lower ion signals and were prone to a certain degree of fragmentation induced during the ionization process. All the described attests the laser-induced microplasma by a good performance in terms of stability, robustness, sensitivity, and general applicability as a self-contained ion source for the liquid sample introduction.