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A compact time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer for the structural analysis of biological molecules using laser desorption
Author(s) -
Cornish Timothy,
Cotter Robert J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.1290060404
Subject(s) - chemistry , mass spectrometry , analytical chemistry (journal) , time of flight mass spectrometry , desorption , resolution (logic) , time of flight , laser , mass spectrum , ion , spectrometer , optics , chromatography , ionization , physics , organic chemistry , adsorption , artificial intelligence , computer science
A compact laser‐desorption time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer using a 600 ps nitrogen laser and 1 Gsample/s transient recorder is described. The instrument incorporates two electrically‐isolatable, reflecting flight tubes designed for subsequent configuration of the mass spectrometer as a tandem instrument. In this first report, we compare mass resolution in the laser‐desorption mass spectra of an organic dye, sinapinic and caffeic acid matrices, and sevesral small peptides. For directly desorbed ions, peak widths are generally of the order of 11 to 13 ns, so that mass sesolutiojn increases with increasing mass. For peptide ions in the range of 500 to 1000 u, formed by matrix‐assisted desorption, peak widths range from 9.5 to 17.6 ns and increase with mass. However, better than unit mass resolution (1600 to 2400) is maintained throughout this range. Mass measurement accuracy is better than 0.1 u using a single calibration peak and a prompt start trigger pulse. Prospects for extending mass range and resolution are discussed.