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Characterization of typical chemical background interferences in atmospheric pressure ionization liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry
Author(s) -
Guo Xinghua,
Bruins Andries P.,
Covey Thomas R.
Publication year - 2006
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.2715
Subject(s) - chemistry , atmospheric pressure chemical ionization , chemical ionization , mass spectrometry , ion , solvent , ionization , protonation , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , organic chemistry
Abstract The structures and origins of typical chemical background noise ions in positive atmospheric pressure ionization liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (API LC/MS) are investigated and summarized in this study. This was done by classifying chemical background ions using precursor and product ion scans on most abundant background ions to draw a family tree of the commonly occurring chemical background ions. The possible structures and the origins of the major chemical background noise are clearly revealed in the family trees. In agreement with some suggestions in the literature, the chemical background ions studied so far can be classified mainly as either ions of contaminants (or their degradation fragments) or cluster‐related ones. A significant contribution from the contaminants (airborne, from tubing and/or solvents) from plasticizer additives (phthalates, phenyl phosphates, sebacates and adipates, etc.) and silicones is concluded. These ions of contaminants can also serve as nuclei for the clustering of HPLC solvent or additives, such as water and acetic acid, thereby leading to a second family of background ions. This study explains the persistence of some chemical background noise even under fairly strong declustering conditions in API LC/MS. One of the other interesting conclusions is that there is a clear difference in structures between the chemical background ions and the protonated analytes generated under atmospheric pressure ionization. This conclusion will contribute to the on‐going research efforts to exclusively remove or reduce the interference of chemical background noise in API LC/MS. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.