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A curved field reflectron time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer for the simultaneous focusing of metastable product ions
Author(s) -
Cornish Timothy J.,
Cotter Robert J.,
Todd Peter J.
Publication year - 1994
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.1290080924
Subject(s) - reflectron , chemistry , time of flight , mass spectrometry , ion , ionization , metastability , analytical chemistry (journal) , reflector (photography) , field desorption , time of flight mass spectrometry , spectrometer , optics , atomic physics , physics , light source , organic chemistry , chromatography
The ability to simultaneously focus a wide mass range of metastable fragment ions formed after the initial ionization event in a matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer has been made possible by the development of a new type of ion reflector. This coaxially designed time‐of‐flight instrument employs a modified single stage reflector whose axial voltage gradient rises differentially in order to produce an alignment of energy focal points for product ions. In contrast, product‐ion focusing in conventional constant field reflectors occurs over a broad range of distances from the reflectron exit. Approximately 90% of the product‐ion mass spectrum can be collected without adjustment, thereby eliminating the need to scan the reflector voltage. Design considerations of the curved field reflectron, its calibration properties and representative metastable spectra of several peptides are discussed.