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Ambient ion/molecule reactions in low‐temperature plasmas (LTP): reactive LTP mass spectrometry
Author(s) -
Benassi Mario,
GarciaReyes Juan F.,
Spengler Bernhard
Publication year - 2013
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.6500
Subject(s) - chemistry , mass spectrometry , long term potentiation , ion , plasma , molecule , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , organic chemistry , biochemistry , physics , receptor , quantum mechanics
RATIONALE Ion/molecule reactions are commonly used to characterize structures due to their high specificity. Herein, we present ambient ion/molecule reactions performed in the course of low‐temperature plasma (LTP) ionization of condensed‐phase analytes in order to increase the specificity of LTP‐based ambient analysis. METHODS The ion population of the cold plasma is modified by addition of a reagent to the plasma before it is directed at a surface bearing the analyte. Desorbed ions were analyzed using linear ion trap‐Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS). RESULTS Acylium ions generated from tetramethylurea react with 1,3‐dioxane analyte to afford distinctive Eberlin product ions. Reactions of alkylamines, such as n‐hexylamine and n‐octylamine, with benzaldehyde produce the corresponding imines. Reaction of ruthenocene with trifluoroacetic anhydride forms the unusual trifluoroacetate ruthenocene. CONCLUSIONS A LTP source can be used to generate reagent ions that can undergo ion/molecule reactions in the ambient environment with an analyte at condensed phase on a surface. The experiment is a 'reactive' version of the standard low‐temperature plasma (LTP) ambient ionization experiment. This approach provides additional information by combining ion/molecule chemistry with conventional MS and MS/MS data to characterize particular analytes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.