title: Demonstration of proton-transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry for real-time analysis of trace volatile organic compounds.
abstract: A proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometer based on time-of-flight mass spectrometry is described. This instrument couples a radioactive ion source and drift tube with a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Volatile organic compounds in the gas phase with concentrations at the parts per billion by volume level can be detected in a matter of seconds, and crucially, the multichannel data acquisition in TOF-MS means that this detection sensitivity is available in all mass channels simultaneously. The typical mass resolution (m/Deltam) is in excess of 1000. The performance of the instrument is demonstrated using urban air measurements and a linear response/calibration test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whyte
authors.forename: Ceri O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Monks
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002138:Calibration; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000032:analysis*; D016014:Linear Models; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D011522:Protons; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties; D014835:Volatilization; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011522:Protons; D014867:Water; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide