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Recent advances in pyrolysis mass spectrometry of complex biological materials
Author(s) -
Meuzelaar Henk L. C.,
Kistemaker Piet G.,
Posthumus Maarten A.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
biomedical mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9888
pISSN - 0306-042X
DOI - 10.1002/bms.1200010504
Subject(s) - pyrolysis , mass spectrometry , field desorption , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , electron ionization , ionization , materials science , ion , organic chemistry , chromatography
Nonvolatile biological materials, such as biopolymers or even whole cells, can be made accessible to mass spectrometric analysis by pyrolysis techniques. In principle, this enables differentiation, classification and identification of these materials. Moreover, pyrolysis mass spectrometry can provide a general picture of the chemical composition and structure of the sample analysed. During the past few years we have investigated several pyrolysis techniques in combination with different mass spectrometric methods. These investigations included Curie point pyrolysis, infrared laser pyrolysis, low voltage electron impact ionization, field ionization and pyrolysis field desorption. Pyrolysis reactions were performed either at the gas inlet or directly at the ion source. The relative merits of these different experimental approaches are discussed. Additionally, examples of various applications, such as computer identification of bacteria and qualitative analyses of biopolymers, are given.