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Extension of the focusable mass range in distance‐of‐flight mass spectrometry with multiple detectors
Author(s) -
GundlachGraham Alexander W.,
Dennis Elise A.,
Ray Steven J.,
Enke Christie G.,
Carado Anthony J.,
Barinaga Charles J.,
Koppenaal David W.,
Hieftje Gary M.
Publication year - 2012
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.6379
Subject(s) - chemistry , mass spectrometry , detector , range (aeronautics) , ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry , time of flight , time of flight mass spectrometry , extension (predicate logic) , analytical chemistry (journal) , selected reaction monitoring , chromatography , aerospace engineering , tandem mass spectrometry , physics , optics , ion , ionization , organic chemistry , programming language , engineering , computer science
RATIONALE Distance‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS) is a velocity‐based mass separation technique in which ions are spread across a spatially selective detector according to m/z . In this work, we investigate the practical mass range available for DOFMS with a finite‐length detector. METHODS A glow‐discharge DOFMS instrument has been constructed for the analysis of atomic ions. This instrument was modified to accommodate two spatially selective ion detectors, arranged co‐linearly, along the mass‐separation axis of the analyzer. With this geometry, each detector covers a different portion of the distance‐of‐flight spectrum and ions are detected simultaneously at the two detectors. The total flight distance covered by the two detectors is 106 mm and simulates DOF detection across a broad mass range. RESULTS DOFMS theory predicts that ions of all m/z values are focused at a single flight time, but at m/z ‐dependent flight distances. Therefore, ions that are detected across a wide portion of the DOF axis should all yield the same peak widths. With a focal‐plane camera detector and a micro‐channel plate/phosphor‐screen detection assembly, we found simultaneous, uniform focus of 40 Ar 2 + and of 65 Cu + and 63 Cu + with the ions spread 82 mm across the DOF axis. This detection length, combined with the current instrument geometry, allows for a simultaneously detectable m/z value of 4:3 (high mass‐to‐low mass). CONCLUSIONS These results are the first experimental verification that constant‐momentum acceleration (CMA)‐DOFMS provides energy focus across an extended detection length. Evidence presented demonstrates that DOFMS is amenable to detection with (at least) a 100‐mm detector surface. These results indicate that DOFMS is well suited for detection of broader mass ranges. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.