title: Electrospray/VUV single-photon ionization mass spectrometry for the analysis of organic compounds.
abstract: For the comprehensive analysis of organic compounds, especially thermal labile and nonpolar compounds, an electrospray/vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) single-photon ionization (ES-SPI) method was developed. The fine droplets of the sample solution from the electrospray process were directed through a quartz capillary and two skimmers to form a molecular beam into a high vacuum ionization chamber. The neutral sample molecules were softly ionized with tunable VUV light and analyzed with a reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (RTOF-MS). The ionization energy (IE) and appearance onsets of fragments were obtained based on the photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectrum. The isomers can also be distinguished. With this new method, clean (fragment-free) mass spectra of nonpolar compounds, such as benzene, cyclohexane, and some thermal labile solid compounds (triphenylamine, thioacetamide, and urea) have been obtained without any tedious pretreatment. The components of complex mixtures (gasoline and kerosene) can be identified. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of the components can be obtained based on photoionization cross section data. This method may be used for quantitative analysis of small biomolecules and natural products.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, National Laboratory of Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Taichang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Zichao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qi
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006844:Hydrocarbons, Cyclic / Q000737:chemistry; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature; D013730:Terphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013853:Thioacetamide / Q000737:chemistry; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D006844:Hydrocarbons, Cyclic; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010578:Petroleum; D013730:Terphenyl Compounds; D013853:Thioacetamide; D014508:Urea