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Atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry as a tool for structural characterization of lignin
Author(s) -
Kubátová Alena,
Andrianova Anastasia A.,
Hatton Joshua,
Kozliak Evguenii I.
Publication year - 2020
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.8813
Subject(s) - lignin , chemistry , mass spectrometry , characterization (materials science) , atmospheric pressure chemical ionization , electrospray ionization , ionization , atmospheric pressure , analytical chemistry (journal) , ambient ionization , range (aeronautics) , dart ion source , ion , chemical ionization , nanotechnology , chromatography , electron ionization , organic chemistry , materials science , oceanography , composite material , geology
Rationale Lignin occurs in a broad range of forms, e.g., native as the main support for plant walls, and processed, for which its structure depends on the nature of the industrial isolation method, such as in paper production or in biorefineries. Due to the variety of lignin sources, there is no unified agreement on the structure of lignin or even its molecular weight (MW). Methods The focus of this review is on the application of atmospheric pressure ionization methods to lignin analysis by mass spectrometry (MS), namely electrospray ionization (ESI) or direct analysis in real‐time (DART). Specific parameters affecting ionization including electrolytes and solvents are discussed. Results The main challenge for MW determination of lignin is its heteropolymer character as well as the mass range limitations of MS instrumentation. To date, only a few studies have successfully used the mass range above m/z 1500. We present the advantage of ESI in generating multiply charged ions, allowing for a further increase in the mass range of deconvoluted mass spectra. While some methods such as DART do not address the mass range problem, they may serve as excellent imaging tools suitable for structural characterization of lignin. Conclusions A literature review presents the recent accomplishments in lignin MS analysis by atmospheric pressure ionization techniques. Although significant breakthroughs have been made, it is essential to further improve the operating conditions and validate the methods for a broader range of feedstocks with the results being confirmed using other methods.